Happy First Day of Fall! Autumn Officially Arrives Today

It’s official—fall begins today, September 22, 2026!

The autumnal equinox arrives tonight at 8:05 p.m. EDT, marking the astronomical beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. At that precise moment, the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south, beginning a season of shorter days, longer nights, cooler temperatures, and changing leaves.

What Is the Autumnal Equinox?

The word equinox comes from Latin words meaning “equal” and “night.” Around the equinox, day and night are close to equal in length across much of the world—although they aren’t exactly 12 hours each.

The September equinox occurs when the Sun crosses directly over Earth’s equator from north to south. From this point forward, the Northern Hemisphere receives progressively less daylight until the winter solstice on December 21, 2026.

Fall Begins Tonight

Although September 22 is the first day of astronomical fall, summer technically hangs on for most of today. The season officially changes at 8:05 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time—7:05 p.m. Central, 6:05 p.m. Mountain, and 5:05 p.m. Pacific.

Meteorologists use a slightly different calendar. Meteorological fall began September 1 and includes the months of September, October, and November. Astronomical seasons, however, are determined by Earth’s position in its orbit around the Sun.

Welcome, Fall!

For generations, the arrival of fall has signaled an important turning point in the year. Harvests come in, leaves begin their colorful transformation, migrating birds head south, animals prepare for winter, and the evenings grow noticeably earlier.

Over the coming weeks, pumpkins, crisp mornings, brilliant foliage, migrating wildlife, and the first frosts will begin appearing across more of the country.

So enjoy these first hours of the new season.

Happy first day of fall from the Farmers’ Almanac! What are you looking forward to most this autumn?