It won’t quite feel like fall
Temperatures for the beginning of fall this year will be warmer than normal. The Valley should see temperatures of 100 to 102 degrees today.
Pumpkin spice may be here, but sweaters might wait in your closets for a few weeks. Cooler weather has not quite hit the Valley, meteorologists said.
The first day of fall, or the autumnal equinox, begins Sept. 22 at 12:21 p.m. The forecast? Temperatures of 100 to 102 degrees in Phoenix, according to Mark O’Malley, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
The autumnal equinox is when the sun is directly over the equator, O’Malley said.
Last year, September’s high temperature was 103 degrees.
O’Malley said there is a slight chance temperatures will be warmer than normal for the beginning of fall this year.
The average temperature in Phoenix on Oct. 1 is 95 degrees, while the average temperature on Oct. 31 drops to 83 degrees.
The weather cools after the autumnal equinox because the angle of the sun gets lower and lower in the sky, the nights get longer and days get shorter, according to O’Malley.
Monsoon season ends with the close of September as well, and this year has been wetter than recent years.
The monsoon season this year has had 3.99 inches of rain, which is the 27nd wettest on record overall since 1896 and third wettest since 2000.
Given that the monsoon season doesn’t end until Sept 30, it’s fitting there is a 10-15% chance of showers later this week, particularly on Sept. 23.