picture from alltiptips.wordpress.com
Signs of autumn are in the air. Anyone who’s sweated their way through a long hot summer might be ready for a change of season. What says autumn to you?
The September equinox arrives on September 23, 2019, but signs of autumn are all around us.
Sunlight
Have you noticed it’s darker now in the mornings? The sun is rising later—and setting earlier, too. The days get noticeably shorter as it gets dark earlier each night. See your Sunrise/Sunset Times and Length of Day.
If you closely observe the Sun’s path across the sky, you’ll see the arc is shifting south. Did you know that birds and butterflies migrate along with the path of the Sun?
Birds
Many readers report that their hummingbirds have left or are leaving for warmer climates as early as mid-August. Hawks, geese, and swallows (and butterflies) are migrating south for the winter.
Near The Old Farmer’s Almanac in New Hampshire is a mountain. At the summit, you’ll view kettles of hawks soaring in the sky. The hawk migration means that their food supply of frogs, snakes, and forest creatures is dwindling—a clear sign of summer’s end!
Some butterflies stay closer to home and begin to seek shelter for the cooler months. Try to leave some leaf litter for your beneficial insects!
Bears
Birds aren’t the only creatures hinting that cold weather’s coming. Our Almanac publisher saw a bear crossing the road in the middle of her walk! Late August to mid-September is prime time for blackberries. Bears are gorging to build up their fat stores before they hibernate.
Folklore says …
It is going to be a tough winter if bears are seen berrying.
Squirrels
If you walk dogs, you’ll be very aware that the squirrels are back. They’re collecting ripe brown acorns for their winter stash. Lots of seeds are falling now.
According to folklore …
If the oak bear much mast [acorns], it foreshadows a long and hard winter.
Plants
Of course, another way we know autumn’s approaching is to observe the plants. Squash, pumpkin, nuts, and apples are ready for harvest. The other vegetables in the garden are slowing down, ending their cycle of growth.
Acorns, pinecones, and Sycamore “helicopters” fall to the ground. Mushrooms and other fungi pop up everywhere.
Grass doesn’t grow as fast. You’ll also see morning dew. Fall flowers such as asters and goldenrods begin to bloom.
The leaves on many of the trees are starting to change color. Observe the reds, oranges, yellows, and browns of falling leaves. Interestingly, leaves do not change because of cooler temperatures. Find out why autumn leaves change colors.
Weather
It’s not just the tree’s colorful clothing that changes. It’s our own! Shorter days means cooler weather’s coming. The air begins to feel crisper, especially in the morning.
The air begins to smell a bit different.
The direction of the wind changes and windy days become more common. Hurricanes and tropical storms begin to happen.
Get ready to add a layer of clothes for a walk in the woods! Add a soft blanket to the sofa. Get cozy!
taken from https://www.almanac.com/news/editors-musings/blog-signs-autumn
Winter Weather
Weather lore holds that as the day lengthens, so the cold strengthens. This will be true from the U.S. Heartland westward to the Pacific and in the Southwest’s Desert and Pacific regions, but The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a warmer and wetter winter for most of the country.
Dear Winter Wonderlanders,
This year, winter officially begins on December 21 at 11:19 p.m. EDT, when the Sun reaches its greatest declination south of the celestial equator. The days around the 21st may be the shortest and darkest of the year, but this means only that we’ll see more and more sunlight until the vernal equinox on March 19 at 11:50 p.m. EDT—the earliest in 124 years!
This winter’s forecast may be welcome news if you like slightly warmer weather. We believe that warming trends will dominate in the eastern and northern parts of the nation this winter, with below-normal temperatures limited to the Southwest.
You can expect below-normal precipitation in Florida and along the Gulf Coast area, as well as in Texas, Oklahoma, the Upper Midwest, the western Desert Southwest, central California, and western Hawaii. Elsewhere, precipitation will be above normal.
As for snow, expect more than normal if you live in the area from the southern Appalachians northward through western Pennsylvania and across most of the country, including the eastern Desert Southwest.
taken from https://webmail.netins.net
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
The September equinox arrives on September 23, 2019, but signs of autumn are all around us.
Sunlight
Have you noticed it’s darker now in the mornings? The sun is rising later—and setting earlier, too. The days get noticeably shorter as it gets dark earlier each night. See your Sunrise/Sunset Times and Length of Day.
If you closely observe the Sun’s path across the sky, you’ll see the arc is shifting south. Did you know that birds and butterflies migrate along with the path of the Sun?
Birds
Many readers report that their hummingbirds have left or are leaving for warmer climates as early as mid-August. Hawks, geese, and swallows (and butterflies) are migrating south for the winter.
Near The Old Farmer’s Almanac in New Hampshire is a mountain. At the summit, you’ll view kettles of hawks soaring in the sky. The hawk migration means that their food supply of frogs, snakes, and forest creatures is dwindling—a clear sign of summer’s end!
Some butterflies stay closer to home and begin to seek shelter for the cooler months. Try to leave some leaf litter for your beneficial insects!
Bears
Birds aren’t the only creatures hinting that cold weather’s coming. Our Almanac publisher saw a bear crossing the road in the middle of her walk! Late August to mid-September is prime time for blackberries. Bears are gorging to build up their fat stores before they hibernate.
Folklore says …
It is going to be a tough winter if bears are seen berrying.
Squirrels
If you walk dogs, you’ll be very aware that the squirrels are back. They’re collecting ripe brown acorns for their winter stash. Lots of seeds are falling now.
According to folklore …
If the oak bear much mast [acorns], it foreshadows a long and hard winter.
Plants
Of course, another way we know autumn’s approaching is to observe the plants. Squash, pumpkin, nuts, and apples are ready for harvest. The other vegetables in the garden are slowing down, ending their cycle of growth.
Acorns, pinecones, and Sycamore “helicopters” fall to the ground. Mushrooms and other fungi pop up everywhere.
Grass doesn’t grow as fast. You’ll also see morning dew. Fall flowers such as asters and goldenrods begin to bloom.
The leaves on many of the trees are starting to change color. Observe the reds, oranges, yellows, and browns of falling leaves. Interestingly, leaves do not change because of cooler temperatures. Find out why autumn leaves change colors.
Weather
It’s not just the tree’s colorful clothing that changes. It’s our own! Shorter days means cooler weather’s coming. The air begins to feel crisper, especially in the morning.
The air begins to smell a bit different.
The direction of the wind changes and windy days become more common. Hurricanes and tropical storms begin to happen.
Get ready to add a layer of clothes for a walk in the woods! Add a soft blanket to the sofa. Get cozy!
taken from https://www.almanac.com/news/editors-musings/blog-signs-autumn
Winter Weather
Weather lore holds that as the day lengthens, so the cold strengthens. This will be true from the U.S. Heartland westward to the Pacific and in the Southwest’s Desert and Pacific regions, but The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a warmer and wetter winter for most of the country.
Dear Winter Wonderlanders,
This year, winter officially begins on December 21 at 11:19 p.m. EDT, when the Sun reaches its greatest declination south of the celestial equator. The days around the 21st may be the shortest and darkest of the year, but this means only that we’ll see more and more sunlight until the vernal equinox on March 19 at 11:50 p.m. EDT—the earliest in 124 years!
This winter’s forecast may be welcome news if you like slightly warmer weather. We believe that warming trends will dominate in the eastern and northern parts of the nation this winter, with below-normal temperatures limited to the Southwest.
You can expect below-normal precipitation in Florida and along the Gulf Coast area, as well as in Texas, Oklahoma, the Upper Midwest, the western Desert Southwest, central California, and western Hawaii. Elsewhere, precipitation will be above normal.
As for snow, expect more than normal if you live in the area from the southern Appalachians northward through western Pennsylvania and across most of the country, including the eastern Desert Southwest.
taken from https://webmail.netins.net
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
