Ohio has seen soaring temperatures into the middle of September, but warm weather can't stick around forever and the first day of fall is nearly here.
What time is the autumnal equinox? And what's the difference between astronomical and meteorological fall? Here's what to know.
When is the first day of fall?
Meteorological fall started on Sept. 1, according to AccuWeather.
Astronomical fall, the day the northern and southern hemispheres receive the same amount of sunlight before winter, arrives several weeks later, though.
What time is the autumnal equinox 2026?
Astronomical fall, or the autumnal equinox, falls on Tuesday, Sept. 22, in the Northern Hemisphere, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. It will happen at 8:04 p.m. ET and will occur at the same
time worldwide.
How is meteorological fall different from astronomical fall?
According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, astronomical seasons are defined by the Earth's orbiting position in relation to the sun.
Meteorological seasons are dictated by the Earth's temperatures.
The Earth's tilt and the sun's alignment over the equator dictate the equinoxes and solstices. The Earth is tilted approximately 23.5 degrees on its axis. Because of this tilt, there are times when part of our planet leans toward the sun while the other part of the planet faces away, according to NCEI.
The Earth's elliptical orbit brings our planet closer or farther to the sun, depending on where the planet is in its 365.24-day cycle. These factors determine when the astronomical seasons fall, and each season varies in length from 89 to 93 days. Meteorological seasons were created because of those variations in length.
So basically, meteorological fall begins on Sept. 1 (and lasts through November 30) while astronomical fall 2026 starts with the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22 and lasts until the winter solstice on Dec. 21.
The days will continue getting shorter in the fall. When will they get longer again?
Ohio will start seeing less daylight after the autumnal equinox.
The sun will rise later, and nightfall will arrive earlier, making days feel shorter and nights longer.
Once we reach the winter solstice on Dec. 21, 2026, daylight hours will start getting longer again.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Today is the first day of fall, but the autumnal equinox happens late
