After a sweltering end to the summer, San Diego weather may start feeling cool enough to switch your iced pumpkin spice latte to hot as autumn falls upon the Northern Hemisphere.
The start of fall also signals earlier sunsets and dwindling hours of sunlight. Here are some key fall and winter dates to be aware of and how they will affect San Diego's beloved sunsets.
When does fall start?
The official start of fall, or the autumnal equinox, is on Sept. 22.
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If you like countdowns, fall starts at exactly 5:04 p.m. in San Diego, according to the Farmers' Almanac.
The autumnal equinox marks the very moment that nighttime hours begin growing while daylight hours begin dwindling. On Sept. 22, San Diegans will experience about an equal amount of daytime and nighttime, hence the name equinox, which means "equal night" in Latin, according to the Farmers' Almanac.
Significant sunset times in San Diego
Whether or not you've noticed, the hours of daylight have been growing shorter every day since June's summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year. As we shift closer to the winter solstice -- shortest day of the year -- here are some key fall and winter dates and how they will affect San Diego's beloved sunsets.
- On the first day of fall, Sept. 22, the sun will set at 6:45 p.m. in San Diego, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
- By Oct. 1, the sun will set at 6:33 p.m., giving San Diegans less than 12 hours of sunlight
- On Oct. 31, Halloween, arguably the spookiest day of the year, the sun will set just before 6 p.m. at 5:59 p.m.
- On Nov. 5 the sun will set at 5:54 p.m. as San Diegans prepare to stop "saving daylight"
- On Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, San Diegans hoping to catch the sunset with their turkey and stuffing will have to make it before 4:44 p.m.
During the whole fall season, San Diego is losing about 1.3 minutes of sunlight every single day, according to NBC 7's calculations from NOAA.
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When is Daylight Saving Time?
Nov. 6 is the dreaded end to Daylight Saving Time. On that day, sunset is at 4:53 p.m., a big change due to the "falling back of the clock." It is also the first day that the sun will set before 5 p.m.
The earliest sunset and darkest day of the year in San Diego
On the shortest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, Dec. 21, sunset will take place as early as 4:47 p.m. in America's Finest City. That date is also the beginning of the winter season.
