Isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible beginning early Saturday morning, and are expected to depart by Sunday morning. Labor Day will kick off another stretch of sunny skies lasting through at least Thursday, with only a slight chance of showers Tuesday evening. Below average rainfall up to an inch is possible by Sunday morning.
Temperatures will remain below normal in the next couple days, with expected highs reaching only in the mid to upper 70s through Sunday, before warming back up to 84 by Tuesday. Lows remain in the lower 60s.
Sept. 1 was the first day of the so-called “meteorological fall”. This definition of the beginning of fall is different from the more popularly used “astronomical fall”, which doesn’t begin until Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 3:21p.m.
The astronomical start of the season is based upon the earth’s position in relation to the sun, and we use the solstices and equinoxes to mark the start of each season. A solstice is when the sun reaches the southernmost or northernmost point in the sky, whereas an equinox is when the sun passes directly overhead of the Earth’s equator. Due to leap years, the first day of each season according to this system is shifted a day or two over time.
The meteorological start of the season is based upon the annual temperature cycle and 12-month calendar. Each season begins on the first day of a particular month, and lasts for three months. So fall begins Sept. 1, Winter – Dec. 1, Spring - March 1, and Summer - June 1. Climate scientists and meteorologists use this system of measuring the seasons because of its consistency, making it easier to keep their records organized.
