Days are getting shorter, even if we haven't yet felt that first brush of cold weather. Instead, several cities have been breaking heat records.
➤ How much longer will summer warmth linger in Florida?
And we may have to wait awhile for cooler weather, according to the Climate Prediction Center, which said above-average temperatures are expected through November for Florida and much of the United States.
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But time marches on, and the days are getting shorter even if temperatures aren't dropping.
Astronomical fall will arrive soon and meteorological fall started last week.
That depends on which "fall" you're referring to.
There are two definitions when it comes to seasons: meteorological and astronomical.
If you're referring to meteorological fall, that started on Sept. 1.
If you're referring to astronomical fall, that will start on the fall equinox on Sept. 22.
The 2026 fall equinox, or the first day of astronomical fall, happens at 8:05 p.m. ET Sept. 22.
Yes. Days start getting shorter after the summer solstice. Days will start getting longer after the winter solstice Dec. 21.
There's a slight variation depending on where you are in the state, but days are 12 hours and 28 minutes long on Sept. 8 in Miami, according to timeanddate.com.
On the fall equinox Sept. 22, the days will be 12 hours and 7 minutes long in Miami.
Compare to Tallahassee daylight hours, with 12 hours and 33 minutes Sept. 8 and 12 hours and 8 minutes on the equinox on Sept. 22.
➤ See length of daylight where you live
On the winter solstice, Dec. 21, daylight hours will be:
Tallahassee: 10 hours, 10 minutes
Unless the Senate approves the Sunshine Protection Act, and President Trump signs it into law, daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. local time on Nov. 1 and we'll move our clocks back an hour to return to standard time.
Florida would see the same amount of daylight no matter whether daylight saving or standard time were made permanent.
The difference is when that daylight occurs.
➤ Florida sunrise, sunsets times under permanent daylight saving time
Permanent standard time in Florida would mean the sun would rise and set an hour earlier on the clock than it does now in the summer, so mornings would be brighter and evenings would get dark sooner.
In winter, mornings and evenings would stay as they are now since standard time starts the first Sunday in November.
➤ Standard time vs DST. See Florida sunrise, sunsets times for each
Permanent daylight saving time in Florida means darker mornings in fall and winter — with some winter sunrises not happening until after 8 a.m. — and more light in the evenings.
Summers would be as they are now, with bright mornings and long evenings, since daylight saving time starts the second Sunday in March.
For meteorologists, seasons are defined by the months with temperatures and weather often associated with each.
Fall: September, October, November.
Winter: December, January, February.
The Earth is tilted 23.5 degrees. That tilt and the sun's alignment over the equator determine both the solstices and equinoxes. The dates vary slightly from year to year.
Solstices occur when Earth's tilt is at its maximum either toward or away from the sun, marking the winter and summer solstices.
Equinoxes occur halfway between the solstices, when the sun's path is aligned with the equator.
So 2026 astronomical seasons are:
Spring (vernal equinox): March 20
Fall (autumnal equinox): Sept. 22
Meteorological and astronomical seasons begin and end on different dates. The reason has to do with how each are defined.
Astronomical seasons are based on the position of Earth in relation to the sun, whereas meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
Meteorological seasons are the three-month periods we commonly refer to when talking about spring, summer, fall and winter.
According to National Centers for Environmental Information, meteorological seasons were created because traditional seasons varied from 89 to 93 days. That made it difficult to compare statistics from one year to another.
Astronomical seasons are based on the position of the Earth as it makes its annual trip around the sun, according to NOAA. Seasons are defined by two solstices and two equinoxes.
Leap years and the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit around the sun affect when the astronomical seasons, or summer-winter solstices and vernal-autumnal equinoxes, occur, explained AccuWeather.
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://heraldtribune.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: When does fall start? 2026 equinox brings shorter days to Florida
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