Welcome to Fall, in South Florida? (Credit: Meteorologist Michael Leiba)

DISCUSSION: It has been fall on the calendar in South Florida for almost 4 weeks, but if you went outside you would not notice it.  In fact, when September 22 rolls around I don’t refer to as the first day of fall, but as the first day of “Summer Extension”.  So, when does fall really arrive in South Florida?  Well, it all depends on your definition.  I normally define it as the first day in which the morning low temperature falls below 70 degrees.  That usually occurs sometime in mid-October.  On the local TV station, they were defining the first day of fall as when the first cold front comes completely through the South Florida area bringing in noticeably cooler and/or drier air.  With their definition, that event occurred on October 20 in 2016, October 6 in 2015, and October 22 in 2014.      

However you want to define it, I for one cannot wait until that day occurs.  Here in South Florida, the joke that floats around is what is the difference between fall up North and fall in South Florida?  Up North it is fall when the leaves change colors, in South Florida it is fall when the license plate change colors.  
​
© 2017 Meteorologist Michael Leiba