When to expect those chilly fall temperatures

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Montgomery officially fell below 60 degrees earlier this week for the first time since late May. That’s over 110 days ago for those counting. It most definitely felt cool, refreshing and crisp all across Central Alabama.

So now that we’ve slipped into the upper 50s, what about even cooler fall temperatures? When should we expect to see our first stint with the mid-50s, lower 50s, 40s, and -- dare I say it -- the 30s?

Cooler nights become more and more likely heading into October. — Cooler nights become more and more likely heading into October.(WSFA 12 News)

The temperature typically falls to 55 degrees or below for the first time by September 27th. That’s only one week from now! For a minimum temperature at or below 50 degrees the average first date is October 6th.

Dropping things even more to a low temperature at or below 45 degrees and the average first date is pushed back to October 13th. The average date of the first day at or below 40 degrees is October 25th.

All of those dates are technically valid for Montgomery. However, the dates are pretty similar for surrounding cities like Prattville, Wetumpka, Auburn, Selma, Demopolis, Greenville, Andalusia, Eufaula, Troy, Luverne, and Alexander City.

40s and 50s become more common as we head into October. — 40s and 50s become more common as we head into October.(WSFA 12 News)

We know things don’t always follow the rules in the world of weather. So an example here would be not every year will feature Montgomery’s first day at or below 45 degrees exactly on October 13th.

That is the average first day with a low temperature at or below 45 degrees. Some years it will happen before that date, some years it will happen after that date. That’s how we get our averages.

For example, Montgomery fell to 44 degrees on October 3rd in 2020. In 2021 the temperature didn’t drop that low until October 18th. In 2022 the first day with a low temperature at or below 45 degrees was October 9th. These dates will vary each year without a doubt!

Average temps continue their decline in October. — Average temps continue their decline in October.(WSFA 12 News)

Afternoon temperatures also drop during the month of October. Montgomery’s average high temperature on October 1st is just above 85 degrees. By October 10th the average high temperature falls to just above 82 degrees.

By October 20th the average high in Montgomery is a very nice 79 degrees. And by Halloween the average afternoon high falls to an incredibly nice 75 degrees! The average overnight low by Halloween, by the way, is below 48 degrees!

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