Czechia ushers in autumn equinox, with darker, snowy days ahead

Czechia officially entered astronomical autumn Sunday evening, trading record-breaking weekend heat for a sharp drop in temperatures and rain that forecasters say will usher in a long stretch of cold, sometimes damp weather. Zero consistent lasting warmth is now expected for at least the next six months.

The autumnal equinox occurred at 8:19 p.m. Central European Summer Time, when the Sun crossed the celestial equator, and day and night were equal in the northern hemisphere. 

From now until the solstice on Dec. 21—the official start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere—days across the hemisphere will grow shorter as nights lengthen. Czechia’s shortest day in 2025 will be on Dec. 22, and days will gradually lengthen thereafter.

The abrupt chill expected this week follows an extraordinary burst of late-summer heat. On Sunday, 21 of 171 long-term weather stations logged new records, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) reported. The town of Dobrany near Pilsen reached 30.4 degrees Celsius, with several other sites in West Bohemia and South Moravia topping 30 degrees. Prague saw temperatures peaking at around 28 degrees Celsius.

Tropical nights (when temperatures remain above 20 degrees Celsius all night) were noted in the Olomouc and South Moravian regions, an exceptionally rare event in late September.

By Sunday, however, a cold front began sweeping east. While the southeast still edged above 25 degrees Celsius, western areas cooled dramatically toward the night, signaling the end of the warm spell. Rain and single-digit morning lows are expected later this week.

Meteorologists expect a marked cooldown today, with Monday temperatures forecast to stay well below 20 degrees Celsius nationwide, with highs in western Bohemia only slightly above 10 degrees. 

According to the ČHMÚ, showers spreading from Bohemia will cover most of the country, including Prague, by Tuesday. A long-term, monthly weather forecast from reputable meteorological service AccuWeather shows that this time next month, Czechia will register daily lows of 2 degrees Celsius and highs of 10 degrees. 

The same forecaster predicts the first signs of snow in the capital on Nov. 26; during late November, daily lows will be around minus 2 degrees Celsius. Snow is then expected throughout December, namely the weeks of Dec. 8 and Dec. 15.