Fall 2027 starts with the September equinox on Thursday, September 23, 2027, at 2:01 a.m. EDT (06:01 UTC). On the West Coast, it starts on Wednesday, September 22, at 11:01 p.m. PDT. Fall 2027 ends on Tuesday, December 21, 2027.
When does fall start in 2027? The answer depends on where you live in the United States.
The September equinox occurs at 06:01 UTC on Thursday, September 23, 2027, which is after midnight in the Eastern, Central, and Mountain time zones but still Wednesday night in Arizona, the Pacific time zone, Alaska, and Hawaii.
That splits the country across two calendar dates. Fall also has a second, fixed start date: meteorological fall 2027 begins on Wednesday, September 1.
This page gives the exact start and end of fall 2027 in every US time zone, the meteorological dates, the Southern Hemisphere dates, and the full-moon and holiday calendar for the season.
Table of Contents
When does fall start in 2027?
Astronomical fall 2027 starts on Thursday, September 23, 2027, at 06:01 UTC. That is the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south.
The table below shows the start of fall 2027 in each US time zone and three international cities. Rows marked with an asterisk fall on Wednesday, September 22, rather than Thursday, September 23.
| Time zone | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| UTC | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 6:01 a.m. |
| Eastern (EDT) | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 2:01 a.m. |
| Central (CDT) | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 1:01 a.m. |
| Mountain (MDT) | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 12:01 a.m. |
| Arizona (MST) | Wednesday, September 22, 2027* | 11:01 p.m. |
| Pacific (PDT) | Wednesday, September 22, 2027* | 11:01 p.m. |
| Alaska (AKDT) | Wednesday, September 22, 2027* | 10:01 p.m. |
| Hawaii (HST) | Wednesday, September 22, 2027* | 8:01 p.m. |
| London (BST) | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 7:01 a.m. |
| Tokyo (JST) | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 3:01 p.m. |
| Sydney (AEST) | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 4:01 p.m. |
Denver and the rest of the Mountain time zone reach fall one minute after midnight. Arizona shares Pacific clock time in September because most of the state does not observe daylight saving time, so Phoenix enters fall on Wednesday night while Denver enters it on Thursday morning.
When does meteorological fall 2027 start?
Meteorological fall 2027 starts on Wednesday, September 1, 2027, and ends on Tuesday, November 30, 2027. The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), part of NOAA, defines meteorological fall as September, October, and November.
Forecasters group seasons by whole months because astronomical seasons vary between 89 and 93 days, which makes year-to-year climate comparisons difficult. Meteorological seasons last 90 to 92 days and line up with monthly records.
When does fall 2027 end?
Fall 2027 ends at the winter solstice on Tuesday, December 21, 2027, at 9:42 p.m. EST (02:42 UTC on Wednesday, December 22). Astronomical fall 2027 lasts 89 days, 20 hours, and 41 minutes.
The end date also splits by time zone: the solstice falls on Tuesday evening, December 21, across the United States, but on Wednesday, December 22, in the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The table shows when fall 2027 ends in major time zones.
| Time zone | Local date | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| UTC | Wednesday, December 22, 2027 | 2:42 a.m. |
| Eastern (EST) | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 9:42 p.m. |
| Central (CST) | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 8:42 p.m. |
| Mountain (MST) | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 7:42 p.m. |
| Pacific (PST) | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 6:42 p.m. |
| Alaska (AKST) | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 5:42 p.m. |
| Hawaii (HST) | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 4:42 p.m. |
| London (GMT) | Wednesday, December 22, 2027 | 2:42 a.m. |
| Sydney (AEDT) | Wednesday, December 22, 2027 | 1:42 p.m. |
Meteorological fall ends earlier, on Tuesday, November 30, 2027, because Wednesday, December 1, 2027, is the first day of meteorological winter.
Fall start and end dates, 2027 to 2031
In US Eastern Time, fall starts on September 23 in 2027 and 2031 and on September 22 from 2028 to 2030. The equinox moves about 5 hours and 50 minutes later each year, then jumps back almost a full calendar day in leap years such as 2028.
The table lists the start and end of astronomical fall for five years, calculated with Astronomy Engine. Independent sources may differ by one minute because of rounding.
| Year | Fall starts (UTC) | Fall starts (ET) | Fall ends (UTC) | Fall ends (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Thu, Sep 23, 06:01 | Thu, Sep 23, 2:01 a.m. | Wed, Dec 22, 02:42 | Tue, Dec 21, 9:42 p.m. |
| 2028 | Fri, Sep 22, 11:45 | Fri, Sep 22, 7:45 a.m. | Thu, Dec 21, 08:20 | Thu, Dec 21, 3:20 a.m. |
| 2029 | Sat, Sep 22, 17:37 | Sat, Sep 22, 1:37 p.m. | Fri, Dec 21, 14:14 | Fri, Dec 21, 9:14 a.m. |
| 2030 | Sun, Sep 22, 23:27 | Sun, Sep 22, 7:27 p.m. | Sat, Dec 21, 20:09 | Sat, Dec 21, 3:09 p.m. |
| 2031 | Tue, Sep 23, 05:15 | Tue, Sep 23, 1:15 a.m. | Mon, Dec 22, 01:55 | Sun, Dec 21, 8:55 p.m. |
2027 and 2031 follow the same pattern: the equinox lands in the early hours of September 23 in UTC, so the East Coast and the West Coast start fall on different dates.
Astronomical fall vs. meteorological fall in 2027
The two definitions of fall 2027 start 22 days apart and end 21 days apart. Astronomical fall follows Earth’s position relative to the Sun. Meteorological fall follows the calendar and the temperature cycle.
| Attribute | Astronomical fall 2027 | Meteorological fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | Thursday, September 23, 2027 (ET) | Wednesday, September 1, 2027 |
| Ends | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 (ET) | Tuesday, November 30, 2027 |
| Length | 89 days, 20 hours, 41 minutes | 91 days |
| Basis | Sun crossing the celestial equator | Three whole calendar months |
| Used by | Astronomers, calendars, most media | NOAA, the UK Met Office, climate records |
| Next season begins | Winter solstice, December 21 or 22 | Wednesday, December 1, 2027 |
Neither definition is the official one for the United States. No federal law sets the start of fall. Calendars and news outlets usually use the equinox, while weather services use September 1.
Why fall is shorter than spring and summer
Astronomical fall 2027 is about 89.9 days long, longer than winter but shorter than spring and summer. Earth’s orbit is an ellipse, and Earth moves fastest near perihelion, its closest point to the Sun.
The next perihelion after fall 2027 falls on Wednesday, January 5, 2028, at 12:45 UTC, during Northern Hemisphere winter.
Because Earth speeds up as it approaches perihelion, it crosses the fall and winter quarters of its orbit faster than the spring and summer quarters. Winter 2027–2028 lasts about 88 days, 23 hours, and 35 minutes, making it the shortest season.
What are the fall months in 2027?
The fall months in the Northern Hemisphere are September, October, and November under the meteorological definition. Under the astronomical definition, fall 2027 covers the last eight days of September (nine on the West Coast), all of October and November, and the first 21 days of December in US time zones.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the fall months are March, April, and May. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology starts autumn on March 1 because that date fits Australian temperature patterns better than the March equinox. In 2027, Australian autumn runs from Monday, March 1, to Monday, May 31, 2027.
When does autumn 2027 start in the UK and other countries?
Autumn 2027 in the UK starts on Thursday, September 23, 2027, at 7:01 a.m. BST under the astronomical definition, and on Wednesday, September 1, 2027, under the meteorological definition.
The Met Office uses meteorological autumn, September 1 to November 30, for its seasonal statistics and climate summaries. Astronomical autumn 2027 in the UK ends at 2:42 a.m. GMT on Wednesday, December 22, 2027.
The table compares when autumn 2027 begins under the definitions used by national weather services and astronomers.
| Country or region | Hemisphere | Autumn 2027 starts | Definition in common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (Eastern, Central, Mountain) | Northern | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | Astronomical in calendars; meteorological at NOAA |
| United States (Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona) | Northern | Wednesday, September 22, 2027 | Astronomical in calendars; meteorological at NOAA |
| United Kingdom | Northern | Thursday, September 23, 2027, or September 1 | Meteorological at the Met Office |
| Australia | Southern | Monday, March 1, 2027 | Meteorological at the Bureau of Meteorology |
| Southern Hemisphere, astronomical | Southern | Saturday, March 20, 2027 (UTC) | March equinox |
In the Southern Hemisphere, the March equinox marks the start of astronomical autumn. In 2027, that equinox occurs on Saturday, March 20, 2027, at 20:24 UTC, which is Sunday, March 21, 2027, at 7:24 a.m. in Sydney. Southern Hemisphere autumn 2027 therefore begins six months before Northern Hemisphere fall 2027.
Indigenous and traditional seasonal calendars
Many cultures define autumn by local events rather than by the Sun’s position. The Bureau of Meteorology notes that Indigenous Australian calendars divide the year into local seasons based on weather patterns and plant and animal life cycles, with some groups using as many as six seasons. These calendars do not have a single “first day of autumn.”
Is day and night equal on the first day of fall 2027?
No. On Thursday, September 23, 2027, most places in the United States get slightly more than 12 hours of daylight. The Sun’s disk is measured from its top edge at sunrise and sunset, and atmospheric refraction lifts the Sun’s image above the horizon before it rises. Both effects add a few minutes of daylight at each end of the day.
The date when daylight first drops below 12 hours is called the equilux. It arrives a few days after the equinox and varies with latitude. The table shows daylight at the start and end of fall 2027 for five US cities, calculated with Astronomy Engine.
| City | Daylight on Thu, Sep 23, 2027 | First day under 12 hours | Daylight on Tue, Dec 21, 2027 | Daylight lost during fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 12 h 06 m | Tuesday, September 28, 2027 | 10 h 32 m | 1 h 35 m |
| New York City | 12 h 07 m | Sunday, September 26, 2027 | 9 h 15 m | 2 h 52 m |
| Chicago | 12 h 07 m | Sunday, September 26, 2027 | 9 h 08 m | 3 h 00 m |
| Seattle | 12 h 08 m | Sunday, September 26, 2027 | 8 h 26 m | 3 h 42 m |
| Anchorage | 12 h 10 m | Saturday, September 25, 2027 | 5 h 27 m | 6 h 43 m |
The loss of daylight grows with latitude. Anchorage loses more than six and a half hours of daylight during fall 2027, while Miami loses just over an hour and a half.
Key fall 2027 dates
Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 7, 2027, the only clock change of the season. Clocks in most of the United States move back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local time. The table lists the holidays, full moons, and seasonal markers from the start of meteorological fall to the winter solstice.
| Event | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Meteorological fall begins | Wednesday, September 1, 2027 | NOAA and Met Office definition |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 6, 2027 | Unofficial end of summer in the US |
| Harvest Moon | Wednesday, September 15, 2027 | 7:04 p.m. EDT, full moon nearest the equinox |
| September equinox | Thursday, September 23, 2027 | 2:01 a.m. EDT |
| Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day | Monday, October 11, 2027 | Second Monday of October |
| Hunter’s Moon | Friday, October 15, 2027 | 9:47 a.m. EDT |
| Halloween | Sunday, October 31, 2027 | Fixed date |
| Daylight saving time ends | Sunday, November 7, 2027 | Clocks go back one hour |
| Beaver Moon | Saturday, November 13, 2027 | 10:26 p.m. EST |
| Thanksgiving (US) | Thursday, November 25, 2027 | Fourth Thursday of November |
| Meteorological fall ends | Tuesday, November 30, 2027 | Winter begins December 1 |
| Cold Moon | Monday, December 13, 2027 | 11:09 a.m. EST |
| Winter solstice | Tuesday, December 21, 2027 | 9:42 p.m. EST |
The Harvest Moon comes before the equinox in 2027. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September equinox. The September 15 full moon falls 7 days and 7 hours before the equinox, while the October 15 full moon falls about 22 days after it, so September’s full moon takes the name. The October full moon becomes the Hunter’s Moon.
Fall or autumn: what is the difference?
Fall and autumn mean the same season; the difference is regional usage. According to Merriam-Webster, English speakers first called the season “harvest.” “Autumn” entered English in the 1300s from the Latin autumnus. In the 1600s, the phrase “the fall of the leaves” became common in poetry and was shortened to “fall.”
Both words crossed the Atlantic with English colonists. By the mid-1800s, American dictionaries treated “fall” as American usage, while British English kept “autumn.” British speakers still use “fall” in the fixed phrase “spring and fall.”
What fall 2027 is not
The first day of fall 2027 is not the same date across the United States. It is Thursday, September 23, in the Eastern, Central, and Mountain time zones and Wednesday, September 22, in Arizona, the Pacific time zone, Alaska, and Hawaii.
The first day of fall is also not the day of equal daylight and darkness, which comes two to five days later. Finally, “fall” on this page refers to the season.
It is not fall break, which is a school holiday set by individual colleges and districts, and it does not cover fall foliage timing, which depends on local temperature and rainfall rather than the calendar.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first day of fall 2027?
The first day of fall 2027 is Thursday, September 23, 2027, in the Eastern, Central, and Mountain time zones, when the equinox occurs at 2:01 a.m. EDT. In the Pacific time zone, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii, fall starts on the evening of Wednesday, September 22, 2027.
Is September 1, 2027, the first day of fall?
September 1, 2027, a Wednesday, is the first day of meteorological fall, used by NOAA and the UK Met Office for climate records. Astronomical fall 2027 starts later, on Thursday, September 23, 2027, in most US time zones. Both answers are correct under their own definitions.
How long is fall 2027?
Astronomical fall 2027 lasts 89 days, 20 hours, and 41 minutes, from the equinox on September 23 to the solstice on December 21. Meteorological fall 2027 lasts 91 days, from September 1 to November 30. Fall is the second-shortest astronomical season in the Northern Hemisphere, after winter.
When does fall end in 2027?
Astronomical fall 2027 ends at the winter solstice on Tuesday, December 21, 2027, at 9:42 p.m. EST, which is Wednesday, December 22, in UTC. Meteorological fall ends earlier, on Tuesday, November 30, 2027. Meteorological winter then starts on Wednesday, December 1, 2027.
When is fall in Australia in 2027?
Fall in Australia in 2027 runs from Monday, March 1, to Monday, May 31, 2027, under the Bureau of Meteorology’s definition. Astronomical autumn in Australia begins at the March equinox, on Sunday, March 21, 2027, at 7:24 a.m. Sydney time. The seasons are reversed because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere.
When is the Harvest Moon in 2027?
The Harvest Moon in 2027 is on Wednesday, September 15, 2027, at 7:04 p.m. EDT. It is the full moon closest to the September equinox and falls about a week before the first day of fall 2027. The October 15 full moon, which follows the equinox, is the Hunter’s Moon.
Why do Americans say fall instead of autumn?
Americans say fall because the word took hold in North America after English colonists brought it over in the 1600s. “Fall” comes from the phrase “the fall of the leaves.” British English kept “autumn,” which entered the language from Latin in the 1300s. Both words are correct in either country.
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