OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The calendar says fall starts on Saturday, September 23. While it won’t exactly be sweater
weather this weekend, you might be able to breakout a polar fleece briefly in the morning. But by midday you’ll be shedding the layers and back in shorts.
Unceremoniously, we’ll usher in the autumnal equinox on Saturday at 2:50 a.m. EDT and our days will get shorter.
EQUINOX EXPLAINED
The National Weather Service (NWS) says there are only two times of the year when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in a “nearly” equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. These events are referred to as equinoxes.
During an equinox the sun shines directly over the equator resulting in nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After today, NASA says the sun gradually continues to rise later and set earlier in the Northern Hemisphere – making the days shorter and the nightfall longer. The opposite is true in the Southern Hemisphere where the days begin to last longer.
The pattern will change on March 19, 2024, when we mark the spring equinox.
OCALA FORECAST
Our seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis and its relationship to the sun as Earth orbits it.
After such a hot summer, many people are craving cooler temperatures that typically accompany autumn.
The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast for north-central Florida calls for lows in the 60s and highs in the 90s for this first weekend of astronomical fall.
Here’s your day-by-day outlook.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 87. North wind 3 to 8 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Light east wind.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind 3 to 6 mph.
Monday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Tuesday: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Tuesday Night: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Friday: A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86.