Tuesday is Shift to Fall for Oregon / Washington; Second Summer on Coastlines

Published 09/20/2026 at 6:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Manzanita, Oregon) – Let's face it. Summer is on life support. It's about to go bye-bye. Mondays is the last full day of summer.

According to Jim Todd of Portland’s OMSI, fall arrives in the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 5:05 p.m. PDT. With that comes not only seasonal and weather changes to Oregon, Washington and the coastlines, but also some shifts in the realms of physics and astronomy all around us.

“This is the moment in time when the Sun's rays are directly over the equator, making day and night nearly equal in length,” Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. “As the Sun's rays continue their journey south, our hours of darkness will become longer than daylight. This is why it is called an 'equinox,' a Latin word meaning 'equal night.' “

From the September Equinox (Sept. 22) to the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21), we will enjoy nearly 90 days of autumn, he said.

Todd explains that Portland’s closest true 12-hour split of daylight and darkness occurs on September 25, when sunrise is at 7:01 a.m. and sunset at 7:02 p.m. The city’s position near the 45th parallel (which runs through the coast) adds a few minutes of daylight because sunrise and sunset each take several minutes as the sun fully clears or dips below the horizon. Atmospheric refraction further extends daylight, bending sunlight so the sun appears above the horizon slightly longer than it actually is.

Fall colors in Oregon - HIllsboro / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Todd also highlights the cultural significance of the equinox. Around the world, the date aligns with seasonal traditions such as the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, a major harvest celebration observed in China, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

In Oregon, modern Harvest Moon festivals bring concerts, farmers markets, tastings, and craft fairs to local communities.

Pacific Northwest Weather | Oregon, Washington, Coastline (see NW from space) |---| Washington Coast Weather |---| Oregon Coast Weather |---| Inland Oregon Weather

Along the Oregon coast and Washington coast, this actually means the best time of the year, in terms of weather. They call it “second summer” out on the coast, and thanks to a variety of meteorological elements this brings the least winds, bluest skies and warmest temps to the coast all year. See Get Ready for 'Second Summer' on Oregon Coast, Washington Coast: Best Weather of the Year

The Pacific Northwest’s fall colors are expected to develop through late September and well into October. Oregon and Washington and both full of areas where these colors simply explode.

Todd adds that the equinox offers a practical bonus for skywatchers: it’s an ideal day to align a sundial, as the sun rises due east and sets due west.

More information about the equinox and current night-sky highlights is available in OMSI’s Starry Nights Live! show inside the Kendall Planetarium. A full schedule and tickets can be found at OMSI.edu.

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