First Fall Front

[snowc]

It's that time of year again, where the fall brings in colder air for the northern users.
With the weather still broiling for some, when does your typical fall front come in for the first time?
For folks in North Carolina, the first fall front is provided below for reference.
2021 - September 1
2022 - August 13
2023 - August 31
2024 - July 27

[Scott5114]

It's not that time of year again.

In Oklahoma, the first fall cold front normally occurred around mid-October. In Las Vegas, I wouldn't be surprised if it were even later than that. Certainly I'm not expecting the 100s to end until sometime in September.

[Road Hog]

Here in DFW I count the "first fall front" as anything that knocks lows into the 60s. Normally that happens the week after Labor Day, but we've gone as long as Oct. 9 (in 2019). I don't count rare July cool fronts like the nice little spell we've had the last week and a half. By Wednesday we'll be back to triple digits.

[GaryV]

Here in DFW I count the "first fall front" as anything that knocks lows into the 60s.

Here in Michigan that happens several times a summer. We just got past one of them, and could have the AC off for a few days.

I consider fall weather to be in the upper 50's. Daytime highs, not overnight. So probably in October, maybe late September.

[gonealookin]

In the Sierra Nevada the autumnal equinox is a good guess for the first weak storm out of the Gulf of Alaska that dusts the mountaintops with a little snow.  That snow would usually melt in a day or two.  It's not until after October 15 that we get storms that drop enough snow to stick around, or even any dusting below about 7000 feet elevation.  I usually swap the snow tires on to the car on +/- November 1.

Yesterday's official high temperature in South Lake Tahoe was 73°F, the coolest since June 19.  That was a pleasant bit of relief.  Average high temperature in July 2024 has been 85.5°F, vs. a historical July average of 80.2°F.

[jeffandnicole]

I wouldn't confuse a day or two droo in temps as a fall front.

[SectorZ]

What is the meteorological definition of a "fall front"?

[Scott5114]

What is the meteorological definition of a "fall front"?

The boundary of an airmass dense enough to trip over.

[webny99]

What is the meteorological definition of a "fall front"?

I was wondering this myself. I feel like sometime in August is when I usually first have a feeling that fall is in the air, but I'm not sure exactly how to describe it other than a smell in the air and change in the wind (often accompanied by rustling/falling leaves).

[jgb191]

Our first taste of fall-like conditions for us, an example we've seen before is a day like 104 high & 82 low before the cool front, and then the next day after the cool front has passed it's down to only 91 high & 70 low, typically happens sometime in September.

[JayhawkCO]

We're having our hottest week of the year and largest wildfire activity at the same time. Not happening in Colorado anytime soon.

[RZF]

Southern California typically doesn't experience a "fall" but, rather, a second summer until early/mid-November. October is notorious for 80-100 degree highs, Santa Ana Winds, and not a cloud in sight. I believe when the Dodgers hosted Game 1 of the 2017 World Series in late October, the record was broken for the highest temperature ever recorded at a World Series game.

The first time we know we're reaching our "winter" is when the first rain storm hits us sometime in November. Then it's 60-75 degree highs when it's sunny and 55-60 degree highs when its raining until about March/April. The earliest I remember the rains hitting us was late October in 2021.

[Road Hog]

Looks like something on the horizon finally. At the end of the 10-day forecast, low of 65º and high of 79º on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

[Max Rockatansky]

I have my tried and true all season font:

 

[gonealookin]

While the August 24 weather in Reno provided an interesting bit of meteorological record-setting, it was not the "first fall front".  It was a case of a random Gulf of Alaska low pressure system dropping much further south along the West Coast than normal at this time of year.

https://twitter.com/NWSReno/status/1827531045060915446

[JayhawkCO]

It's not so much a fall front, but I'm planning a trip to climb Wetterhorn Peak next weekend and I looked at the weather and the summit is supposed to get some snow overnight on Labor Day. Today was the first day in two months where the overnight low got to 50° here in Denver.

[epzik8]

In Maryland, we might soon have one to start September, though not to a full extent.

[rlb2024]

Here in south Louisiana we usually get a fall cooling-off front around mid to late September -- the humidity will drop and the lows will dip into the 60s for a couple of days, then it will warm up again.  We don't really start feeling like fall until October, which is historically our driest and lowest-humidity month.

[epzik8]

I nominate the cold front coming through in Maryland now as an example of this, regardless of what the meteorologists say.

[Road Hog]

I believe this is definitely it. Going to drop into the 50s the next three nights!

[Max Rockatansky]

It was 104F today in Fresno.  Apparently it will drop to 76F by next Tuesday.  Even still, I wouldn't be surprised if there is another heat wave before the month is over.

[gonealookin]

In the Sierra Nevada the autumnal equinox is a good guess for the first weak storm out of the Gulf of Alaska that dusts the mountaintops with a little snow....

OK this is September 16-19 so we're about one week ahead of schedule.  Close enough.

[michravera]

It was 104F today in Fresno.  Apparently it will drop to 76F by next Tuesday.  Even still, I wouldn't be surprised if there is another heat wave before the month is over.

We're getting or Mid-August cold snap about 3 weeks late.

[Max Rockatansky]

It was 104F today in Fresno.  Apparently it will drop to 76F by next Tuesday.  Even still, I wouldn't be surprised if there is another heat wave before the month is over.

We're getting or Mid-August cold snap about 3 weeks late.

Only to be back to the high 90s or low 100s next week.

[Road Hog]

We're getting our Second Fall Front this evening. We'll be in the 80s for highs all this coming week.