Bundle up, Clevelanders, the first day of fall is just a few weeks away. The autumnal equinox, or September equinox, is one of two days of each year where the earth is equally illuminated on both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. 

While the equinoxes are generally around the same date every year, this year, the fall equinox falls on Saturday, Sept. 21. To be exact, the equinox will take place at 8:43 a.m. EST. The Vernal (or spring) equinox takes place in March.

In plain English, the autumnal equinox is considered to be the first day of fall. After Sept. 21, Greater Cleveland residents can expect shorter days and cooler temperatures.

To prepare, I, for one, am switching out my closet from my summer wardrobe to my heavier coats and sweaters, spending as much time on Lake Erie or in the Cleveland Metroparks as possible, and thinking about my garden.

While tomatoes and berries will have to be forgotten about until next summer, there is still time to plant veggies such as lettuce, garlic, shallots and spinach for a winter or spring harvest. (Money-saving tip: Reach out to your Cleveland Public Library branch to see if any of these plants are still available in the seed library!) These should be planted at least a month before the first frost date. 

The first frost means the first time temperatures reach 32º and frost is visible on plants. Because cold temperatures can damage and even kill vegetation, this date is considered the end of growing season.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, do you know when the first frost in Northeast Ohio is expected to happen?

Learn about that below. Also in today’s news quiz, take a moment to learn about public comment at Cleveland City Hall, the upcoming Issue 1 on Ohioans’ ballots and the Cleveland Browns’ recent partnership with a Northeast Ohio college.

Congrats to quiz takers Richard J. and Marge C. for getting 100% on last week’s quiz all about Labor Day’s history in Cleveland.

Good luck this week, and get outside to enjoy the last days of summer if you can.

How much did Huntington Bank pay for naming rights at Browns Stadium?
Where are Jimmy and Dee Haslam from?
What issue number will the Cleveland Metropolitan School District levy be on ballots in the November election?
Formerly incarcerated Ohio residents who were convicted of felonies are not eligible to vote.
Name
Can we give you a shoutout next week if you score 100%?

Want to keep learning? Explore some of our coverage, including:

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Camille was the inaugural audience manager at Signal Cleveland until October, 2024. Using simple social media posts, videos and newsletters, she worked to break complicated news stories into bite-sized chunks that invite Clevelanders to learn more from our reporters’ full stories.