Although the dog days of summer are still looming overhead—with some thick cloud cover over western North Carolina—the start of fall isn’t far away.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has been predicting weather since its founding in 1792. As the beginning of autumn approaches, here's what to know about fall precipitation, heat, the equinox, and more.
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When is the first day of autumn?
The first day of fall, also known as the Autumnal Equinox, is Sunday, September 22 at 8:44 a.m. ET.
While the Spring Equinox is known as the astronomical start of the seasons, there is another way to measure the changing seasons. The beginning of the meteorological season is based on the annual temperature cycle and the 12-month calendar.
According to this definition, each season begins on the first day of a specific month and lasts for three months. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, this means the meteorological summer will end on August 31st and fall will begin on September 1st.
What is the autumnal equinox?
The yearbook explains that in autumnal equinoxday and night are roughly equal in length, each lasting about 12 hours.
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What does the vernal equinox mean?
The word “Vernal Equinox” comes from Latin. Aequus (equal) and nox (night) directly describe two phenomena that occur each year during autumn and the beginning of spring.
When does it get cooler in North Carolina?
The almanac predicts cooler than average temperatures in western North Carolina and throughout the state. As for forecast specifics, Accuweather's month-long September forecast for the Asheville area shows high temperatures starting in the mid-80s and dropping to the mid-70s by the end of the month.
Temperatures gradually cool down in October, with maximum temperatures ranging from the mid-70s at the beginning of the month to the mid-60s at the end of the month.
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How much rain will North Carolina get this fall?
As for precipitation, the Old Farmer's Almanac predicts above-average precipitation in WNC this fall. So far, Accuweather is predicting three rainy days in September and seven rainy days in October.
As for the rest of the state, the almanac predicts near-average precipitation. As always, this forward-looking forecast may change as weather events occur.
How does the old lunar calendar predict?
The Old Farmer's Almanac uses a “secret formula” to predict the weather. It uses solar patterns, historical weather conditions and current solar activity to make its predictions, its website says. It also said it uses three disciplines to make long-term forecasts:
- Solar science, the study of sunspots and other solar activity.
- Climatology, the study of prevailing weather patterns.
- Meteorology, the study of the atmosphere.
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How accurate is the old lunar almanac?
The Old Farmer's Almanac claims that its prediction accuracy is 80%.
Iris Seaton is a popular news reporter for the Asheville Citizen-Times, a USA TODAY Network affiliate. Contact her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
