Fall is here and what to expect?

Fall has arrived on Delmarva, but how does the season normally trend here on the Delmarva.  Let’s start off with the most obvious of thing, which is the shorter amount of daylight. Our last sunset 7 PM sunset of the year occurs around the autumn equinox; along with the fastest loss of daylight peaking at 2 minutes and 27 seconds. The loss of daylight begins to slow down in October but the early sunsets become very noticeable on Delmarva; with sunsets approaching 6 PM by Halloween. November starts with the last 6 PM sunset of the year but with falling back on our clocks, we skip most of the 5 PM hour and shift to sunsets before 5 pm, which drags on into December. The earliest sunsets of the year also occur before the winter solstice in early December at 4:42 PM.

The loss of daylight also contributes to the noticeable tumble in temperatures over the next 3 months. Highs during the autumn equinox are mild in the upper 70s for highs and upper 50s for lows. The drop in  highs is a steady one; with each month falling 8° to 11° from the month prior until the winter solstice. Lows are unique in that the drop starts fast especially from September to November but slows down as we get late into the fall season; with 30s becoming the norm for most of November and all of December. Also, the first frosts typically occur Delmarva in mid-October; while freezes are more common in late October to early November.

Precipitation trends downward during the autumn months; with averages over 4 inches in September and October. The wet contributions in September and October are a combination of cold fronts from up north but also tropical cyclones or remnants from the south. The tropics start active in autumn with the focus being the western Caribbean, East Coast and Gulf of Mexico to a small area of development focused from Cuba to the Bahamas in November. November is known to be the driest month of the year at slightly over 3 inches. Snow is minimal in the fall with November; with only 1% chance happening in the last 10 days of the month.

Lastly, fall foliage begins to take place in late October to early November along the Mid to Upper Shore and Kent County in Delaware. This shifts south into Sussex County along with the Lower Shore and Virginia in early November.

The Climate Prediction Center is forecasting for above average temperatures with equal chances of precipitation this fall on Delmarva. Fall foliage on Delmarva will be impacted this year by the recent drought which started in late July, which might lead to an earlier start but a less vibrant colored and shorter one as well.