First Day of Fall Could Include Frost in Minnetonka

Ring in the first day of fall today with some possible frost tonight.

The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch for tonight and into tomorrow morning for all of central and southern Minnesota and west central Wisconsin.

The watch has been issued from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. Temperatures will dip into the mid 20s Sunday morning in the metro and the mid 30s for the urban core of the Twin Cities.

The NWA reports a cold dome of Canadian high pressure moved in behind a strong cold front Friday night and is centering across the state by Sunday morning. 

The colder weather will mean clear skies and calm winds though. There is only a 20 percent chance of showers before 1 p.m. today and will be mostly sunny with a high in the 50s. Tonight lows are in the 30s dipping into the 20s possibly. By Sunday temperatures will be in the high 50s and lows around 39 by the evening. The 70s will return for highs next week on Monday.

Autumnal Equinox

According to the Almanac online, Fall for 2012 begins in the Northern Hemisphere at 10:49 a.m. EDT Sept. 22. 

The word equinox comes from the Latin words for "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

What does this mean exactly?

On the equinoxes, the very center of the Sun sets just 12 hours after it rises. But the day begins when the upper edge of the Sun reaches the horizon (which happens a bit before the center rises), and it doesn't end until the entire Sun has set. Not only that, but the Sun is actually visible when it is below the horizon, as Earth's atmosphere refracts the Sun's rays and bends them in an arc over the horizon.

What are your favorite signs of Autumn? How do you enjoy the fall weather?

Check out our stories about apple picking and corn mazes in the area.

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