September Preview

Where did the Summer go? It's hard to believe that Labor Day weekend --- the unofficial end of Summer --- is over, and most of us are back to our regular routines of work and school. Now that we've unofficially dropped the curtain on Summer and turned the calendar page, what can we expect during the month of September?

Obviously, the changing of the seasons is the main story this month, but the loss of daylight continues to be a prominent feature through the end of the month. We'll enjoy about 13 hours of sunlight today with sunrise at 6:21 this morning and sunset at 7:22 this evening. However, by the last day of the month, over a week after the Autumnal Equinox, the sunrise happens at 6:48 and the sunset is at 6:36. There will be less than 12 hours of daylight by September 30.

As far as temperatures are concerned, the numbers will continue to decline through the end of the month. The average high and low temperatures for today are 78 and 62 degrees, respectively. By the middle of the month, the averages drop to 74 and 58, and by the end of September, the average high and low are 69 and 52 degrees, respectively.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in September in southwestern Connecticut was 99 degrees on September 2, 1953. The coolest reading ever recorded was 36 degrees, which happened three times --- September 21, 1956, September 24, 1963, and September 28, 1957. The warmest September on record happened in 1961 when the average temperature was 70.4 degrees. The coldest September occurred in 1963 with an average of 61.5 degrees.

September can be a fairly wet month. The average rainfall based on 40 years of climatology is 3.58 inches. The wettest September ever happened in 1960 when over a half-foot (7.42") of rain fell, while the driest September took place one year earlier in 1959 with only 0.43 inches recorded. There has never been any snow recorded in September. You may recall last September 28 when nearly five inches (4.80") of rain fell at Sikorsky Airport.

The Autumnal Equinox takes place Sunday, September 22, at 4:44 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, technically bringing "equal day and equal night" over the face of the Earth. The Autumnal Equinox officially signals the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn. The Equinox is the point where nights reach the same length as days. As Autumn wears on, the Sun will continue to sink lower and lower in the sky until the Winter Solstice in about three months' time.

The Full Harvest Moon takes place on Monday, September 19, at 7:13 a.m. This is the Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice-- the chief Indian staples--are now ready for gathering.

Enjoy the month of September.

Paul