2025 Autumnal Equinox Is Monday; When It Will Feel Like Fall In NJ

The autumnal equinox on Monday, Sept. 22, marks the official first day of fall. But the question is, when will it start to feel like fall in New Jersey?

The short-term forecast from the National Weather Service calls for slightly cooler temperatures this weekend near 77 on Saturday and 74 on Sunday. However, temperatures will rise back up on Monday to around 79 and then back into the 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac says the season will be cooler and drier than normal in the northeast this year.

"September brings an average temperature of 59°F (2° below normal) with 3.5” of precipitation — wet in the north, drier in the south. October will average 46°F (3° below normal) with just 2.5” of rain. Look for scattered showers, brief warm spells, and overall chilly weather," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

The equinox officially ushers in the new season and its promise of crisp air, show-stopping fall foliage, and cool evenings just perfect for sitting around a fire pit, or perhaps taking in one of the fall meteor showers, starting with the Orionids, which start Sept. 26 and ramble on through most of November. The meteor shower peaks around Oct. 21-22.

Regarded as one of the most stunningly beautiful shooting star shows of the year, the Orionids produce about 23 meteors an hour.

Other fall meteor showers to keep an eye on are the short-lived Draconids, which run Oct. 6-10 and peak Oct. 8, and the Taurids.

The first peak of the Taurid meteor shower on Oct. 9-10 will be dimmed by light from the supermoon a few days earlier, and so will the second peak on Nov. 8-9. But fireballs could save the day for stargazers.

The Taurids are unique because they consist of two separate streams. Together, they run from about Sept. 28-Dec 2. Both streams are rich in fireballs, and are often responsible for increased numbers of fireball reports, according to the American Meteor Society. The South Taurids run from Sept.10 to Nov. 30, and the North Taurids from Oct. 13-Dec. 1.

There are plenty of chances in New Jersey to play in the sunshine before the cold of winter creeps in. It's prime time to go to apple orchards. Pumpkins are ripening on the vine. Farmers are cutting mazes into their cornfields to entertain local families.

Some things to take in around New Jersey include:

Riamede Farm

• Address: 122 Oakdale Rd, Chester
• Season dates: Apple Picking Season Sept. 6 to Oct. 26
• Details: Apple/Pumpkin Picking, Live Music, Story Time, Photo Ops, Line Dancing, Wagon Rides, and more.
• Hours: Wednesday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Cost: General Admission is — $3.50 on Weekdays, $10.50 on Weekends/Holidays, $37.50 for Season Pass
• Phone: 908-879-7762

Ripple Hill Farm

• Address: 282 Amwell Road, Hillsborough
• Season dates: Mid-September to October
• Details: Get ready for the ultimate fall experience at the farm! Your admission includes a scenic hayride to the pumpkin patch, time to explore our family-friendly corn maze, and full access to the Barnyard Petting Zoo to meet our friendly farm animals.
• What’s Included:
  • Hayride to the Pumpkin Patch – Take a tractor-pulled ride through the farm and soak in the autumn views.
  • Corn Maze – Test your sense of direction and enjoy a seasonal challenge as you make your way through twists and turns.
  • Barnyard Petting Zoo Admission – Visit with goats, sheep, bunnies, and more in our hands-on barnyard.
  • Pumpkins are sold separately by weight—pick the perfect one in the field to purchase and bring home for carving or decorating.
• Cost: $21 per child, $10 per adult.
• Phone: 908-292-0278

Norz Hill Farm

• Address: 120 South Branch Rd, Hillsborough
• Season dates: Sept. 13 to Oct. 31
• Activities:
  • Farm Tours - The tour takes you on a hay wagon ride from our farm stand area to the farm, then you can get off and see all the animals. Some of the animals you will find are cows, miniature donkeys (yep, we have a Dominick the donkey!), horses, alpaca, sheep, chickens, goats, pigs, bunnies, emu's and even a zonkey. Then when you have had a chance to see all the animals, you can catch the next hayride right to our pumpkin patch.
  • The Corn Maze - Each and every year we dedicate our corn maze to either events that happen on our farm or a great local cause. SO while you are here you can be challenged to find your way through our 5 acres of farm fun!
  • Kids' CORNer & Fun Things - Our Kids Croner is a fun area for your children to visit. We have our ever-popular Kids Bale Maze, our Corn Boxes for the young ones to play in and more. We have many picture opportunities for the whole family here at Norz Hill Farm & Market.
  • Café 120 - Food Stand - A little hungry after all this activity at the farm? Stop in at our on-farm food stand "Café 120" We proudly serve charcoal grilled Hot Dogs & our own all-natural Hamburgers. We also have an assortment of drinks and snacks for you to continue your fun family time in the country. ("Café 120" will only be open on weekends and on advertised holidays.)
  • The Pumpkin Patch - After the farm, you will take a scenic ride out to one of our pumpkin patches. We grow over 60 different varieties of pumpkins, gourds & winter squash for you to choose from. In the pumpkin patch you can explore and find many different and interesting color and shaped pumpkins, gourds & winter squash. The colors you can find range from orange, to white to blue to green to even pink. Then after you have found your perfect pumpkins, gourds and squash you will take another hayride back to our farm stand area.
  • The Farm Market - At Norz Hill Farm & Market, we love giving everyone that great country atmosphere, so our market is at our large blue and white tent. At our market you can find many of the items that will make your fall complete. We have many Halloween and Fall crafts, Indian corn, straw bales and even corn stalks for your fall theme. We also have a big variety of jams/jellies, pies, breads and of course cider donuts! Also at our market we sell our own farm raised beef, pork & eggs and a variety of apples and of course apple cider.
  • Scare Farm - Do you think you have what it takes to make it through Scare Farm, our haunted attractions? Scare Farm has 3 haunted attraction, Creepy Hollow & Paranoia which are both walking haunted trails and The Slay Ride, our haunted hayride. Scare Farm is open throughout the month of October on Friday, Saturday & some Sunday nights. For more details on Scare Farm, please check out the ###a href="https://norzhillfarm.com/scare-farm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scare Farm website.
• Hours/Cost: Hayrides, Pumpkin Picking & Farm Animal Hours: Noon-5 p.m. Weekdays ($13/person), Weekends 10 AM- 6 PM ($15/person) Under 36" in height, FREE. Admission can be purchased online or at the door.
• Phone: 908-371-COWS

Football season is underway for professional teams and many colleges, and “Friday night lights” — the moniker that’s been given to high school football games — are shining.

The autumnal equinox isn’t a daylong event but rather occurs at the exact moment the sun crosses the celestial equator — that’s at 2:19 p.m. EDT.

The word equinox comes from the Latin words “aequus,” which means “equal,” and “nox,” which means night. That’s led to the perception that everyone worldwide sees the same amount of daylight and nighttime, but it’s not the absolute truth. To be precise, daylight lasts about eight minutes longer than nighttime on the day of the equinox, EarthSky reported.

Speaking of daylight, it’ll be time for the twice-annual clock-changing ritual before you know it. Daylight saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 2, when most Americans will turn their clocks back one hour.

Here are five other things to know about the September equinox:

1. There’s no guarantee, of course, but the chances of seeing stunning northern lights displays increase after the fall equinox. Both the spring and fall equinoxes are good aurora seasons, but autumn produces a surplus of geomagnetic storms — almost twice the annual average. And right now, the chances of seeing auroras are greater now that the sun has reached “solar maximum” in its 11-year cycle and the number of sunspots ramps up.

2. The date of the September equinox varies. The fall equinox can occur as early as Sept. 21 or as late as Sept. 24, according to Space.com. A Sept. 21 autumnal equinox hasn’t occurred in several millennia, but some folks alive today may see it the next couple of times it rolls around, in 2092 and then again four years later in 2096. And the first day of fall hasn’t fallen on Sept. 24 since 1931, and that won’t happen again until 2303.

Here’s the reason: A year is defined as 365 days by the Gregorian calendar, but it takes the Earth 365-¼ days to orbit the sun. What this means is the autumnal equinox occurs about six hours later than it did the year prior, which eventually moves the date by a day.

3. Thank Canada for spectacular fall sunsets with more vivid pinks, reds and oranges than at any other time of the year. As dry, clean Canadian air begins to sweep across the country, fewer colors of the rainbow spectrum are scattered by air molecules. That means the reds, oranges, yellows and pinks make it through for your sunset-viewing pleasure.

4. No matter where you are in the world, the sun will rise due east and set due west during the fall equinox (the same thing happens during the spring equinox). For the directionally challenged, it’s a good time for a reset. Go outside around sunset or sunrise, find a landmark and mark the sun’s location in relation to it.

5. Fall isn’t just a time to start winterizing homes against stink bugs and other insects and buttoning up other things outside. It’s rutting — or mating — season for deer, elk and moose, and males will battle it out by thrusting their antlers together until one of them gives up or dies.

Swans, geese and ducks begin their migration south. Frogs burrow deep into mudholes to wait out the winter. Chipmunks retreat to their underground tunnels. Bears eat and drink almost nonstop as they prepare for hibernation.

Are you planning an event this fall? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!

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