Today may usher in fall but it'll still feel like summer

The autumnal equinox occurs at 2:19 p.m. today, when the combination of Earth's axial tilt and its orbital position makes the Sun appear directly overhead at Earth's equator. The result is a nearly vertical line between night and day from north to south as shown in this Monday morning visible satellite image (the East Coast of the U.S. is just visible in the top center):

Fall will indeed arrive this afternoon, but it'll feel much more like summer weather with highs today in the low 80s. After a foggy morning skies will be mostly sunny today, and dew points will be in the 60s for a rather sticky feeling to the air.

Tuesday's weather will be much the same, albeit slightly warmer with local thermometers topping out in the mid-80s. For comparison, the average Mecklenburg County high temperature at this point in September is 80 degrees. By month's end that average drops into the upper 70s.

Rain is on the way later this week, with showers likely to arrive late Wednesday. The end of the work week into the weekend could be pretty damp. Wednesday's blogpost will take a closer look at that setup.