Daylight hours begin to decrease as the autumnal equinox hits

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- At 6:04 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, it's officially fall!

That's when the autumnal equinox hits. It happens because the Earth's axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees. Sunrises will get later, and sunsets will get earlier with the loss of daylight.

On September 21, the world saw equal amounts of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. Between now and the winter solstice, Earth will lose another two hours and 45 minutes of light. December 21 will be the shortest day of the year.

Fall is usually when Colorado will see its first freezing temperatures in just a couple of weeks. Learn more about the upcoming weather in the video above.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.