Fall Forecast Looks Wet

This year’s autumnal equinox, will occur at 5:51 a.m. EDT, on Sunday, Sept. 23. According to the 2008 edition of the Farmers’ Almanac, you should prepare for wet, stormy, and unsettled conditions for much of the fall. Long periods of persistent cold drizzle, punctuated by thundershowers, are expected to dominate late September and much of October.

You may want to grab your umbrellas as you head out leaf viewing.

The wet, wild weather predicted for the coming months is likely to have a negative impact this year’s foliage viewing season, as bright, sunny autumn days, with moderately cool nights, contribute to the most spectacular color displays. (Watch why leaves turn colors here).

The current edition of the Farmers’ Almanac explains how climate conditions affect the color and vibrancy of autumn leaves. Because more sugars are produced on sunny days, then trapped in the leaves during cool nights, a string of such days often results in more of the vivid crimson hues that so thrill leaf peepers. Overcast skies, on the other hand, hamper the production of sugars.

That’s not to say there won’t be some spectacular leaves, it’s just that there may be less of them. Learn when the peak days for leaf viewing are, countrywide, here.

According the Farmers’ Almanac’s outlook, tropical storms are likely to threaten the East Coast over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the first week of October holds the possibility of flurries for the Great Plains. Early snowfall is also expected visit New England and the Great Lakes region during the opening weeks of November, with cold, damp, unsettled conditions looming over the Thanksgiving holiday in most areas.