With autumn, you may find yourself hankering for pumpkin spice and apple pie. Let's face it, there is a lot to love about fall, especially after coming off the heat of summer.

Before we head out to the pumpkin patch, let's explore the change in season and what it all means.


What You Need To Know

  • Astronomical fall in 2022 begins the evening of Sept. 22

  • On the equinox, the sun's direct rays are over the equator, bringing us close to 12 hours of day and night

  • There is a meteorological fall that differs slightly from the astronomical fall

The equinox occurs twice a year, in the spring and in the fall, when the sun is directly above the equator. The equinox marks two times a year when the Earth’s poles are not tilted toward or away from the sun.

In 2022, fall begins on Sept. 22 at 9:03 p.m. EDT.

During the first week of fall, our day and night will be nearly 12 hours each. As days and weeks roll on, we start to notice seasonal changes.

The Earth is tilted on its axis, and as it orbits the sun, the Northern Hemisphere becomes angled away from the sun, making things outside feel and look different.

The sun appears lower in the sky, bringing less light and heat. We reacquaint ourselves with later sunrises and earlier sunsets, ending with the least amount of daylight for the year come the winter solstice on Dec. 21.

This time of year, we can experience drastic temperature swings.

Do you ever recall wearing shorts during the start of school because the summer heat lingered through September? Or, perhaps you wore a jacket out on a chilly morning, only to carry it home after a 30 to 50-degree warmup during the school day.

Other times, we've had to dig out our warmer clothes and coats on colder days with rain, ice or snow.   

(Getty Images)

Jet stream patterns are the directors of weather, and they change during the fall season. As the sunlight gets less intense, the jet stream's average latitude moves toward the equator.

Basically, the jet stream is positioned about where temperature differences are strongest, leaving us to adjust to changing conditions. It's these seasonal shifts that allow for cooler shots of air and sporadic shifts in our weather.

NOAA

Autumn encompasses myriad weather, including tropical systems. They occasionally remind us of hurricane season, a looming threat that lingers through November.

This time of year can bring such changeable weather that we have come to expect what may be anything but typical.

To keep things interesting, there is a meteorological fall, which begins a few weeks earlier than the equinox on Sept. 1. This lets scientists keep data more "even" as it relates to the seasons, breaking them into three-month groups.

I hope you take in some sights and smells of fall and roll with the changes in the weather. I also wish you and yours a safe and healthy fall season.

Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.