First day of fall 2026: Date, what to know about fall equinox

The fall equinox and the first day of autumn are almost here.

In 2026, the first day of fall is Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, when the equinox marks the astronomical start of the season in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs when Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in nearly equal amounts of daylight and darkness across the globe.

What is the fall equinox?

Equinoxes occur twice each year. The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring, while the autumnal equinox marks the beginning of fall.

Although the word "equinox" is associated with equal day and night, daylight and darkness are not exactly 12 hours each. One reason is atmospheric refraction, which bends the sun's rays and makes the sun appear above the horizon even when it is technically below it.

During the autumnal equinox, also known as the September equinox, the sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south. After the equinox, daylight hours continue to decrease in the Northern Hemisphere as the winter solstice approaches.

When do we fall back? When daylight saving time ends

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, Nov. 1, when clocks will fall back one hour to 1 a.m. The change marks the return to standard time, which will remain in effect through the winter.

The return to standard time will bring earlier sunrises and more morning daylight. People will also gain an extra hour of sleep on the night of the time change. The trade-off is an earlier sunset, meaning it will get dark sooner in the late afternoon and evening.

When is the first day of winter?

The first day of winter is marked by the winter solstice, which will happen on Monday, December 21, 2026.

Natassia Paloma may be reached at [email protected], @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.