Although the autumn equinox is still three weeks away, meteorologists (including us) will tell you that September 1 marks the beginning of meteorological autumn, which lasts until November 30.
What is a meteorological season?
The meteorological seasons are divided in this way for two reasons.
- It’s much easier to have a consistent start and end date for a season when it comes to record keeping. The Earth’s orbit is not circular, and it takes (technically) 365.25 days to go around the Sun once. That’s why our equinoxes and solstices occur on different days each year.
- This usually marks the time when the average temperature begins to drop.
How is autumn developing here?
According to Climate Central, fall is the slowest time of year for the Triangle to warm up out of all four seasons.
A warmer fall can impact the growing season, pests, pollen, etc. While there are variations from year to year, since 1970 the average fall temperature in the Triangle has generally increased by 2.7°.
Since La Niña is expected to last into the fall, it is likely that the Average The pattern will keep upper-level winds calmer across the eastern U.S. This could mean fewer strong cold fronts, resulting in above-average temperatures.
Above you can see the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal forecast for fall 2024.
