The First Day of Fall - 2020

 Autumnal  Equinox

Farm Truck: photo by Cliff Hutson

The Autumn Equinox for 2020 in Northern Hemisphere was at 6:30 AM (PDT) this morning, marking the astronomical start of the fall season. 

"The Old Farmer's Almanac"  says that another definition of fall is “nights of below-freezing temperatures combined with days of temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21°C)”. From here on out, the temperatures begin to drop. I do not know who its target audience is, but that is certainly not the case for us.  But, there are some notable changes.

Night and Day

Changing Leaf: photo by Cliff Hutson

After the Fall equinox, nights become longer than days, bringing us into a period of relative darkness. It is this difference in the amount of sunlight that triggers the changes in foliage for many of our trees and other plants. 

While tradition has it that Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend is when the color peaks in New England, our best colors do not occur until much later in the season. So, some years the best way to tell that Fall is here is to watch for the return of Pumpkin Spice Latte. But, that came early this year.