Fall is getting warmer nationwide
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Fall is getting warmer across the continental U.S., a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: Warmer autumns mean more demand for cooling (and thus higher energy use), longer wildfire seasons, big changes for farmers and gardeners, etc.
Driving the news: Fall temperatures rose 2.5°F on average between 1970 and 2023 across 234 locations analyzed in a new Climate Central report.
- The nonprofit climate research group's analysis is based on average temperatures between September and November of each year.
Zoom in: Reno (+7.7°F), El Paso (+6.1°F) and Las Vegas (+6.1°F) saw the biggest increases in average fall temperature among U.S. cities.
Between the lines: The fall trends are consistent with climate science findings showing how the planet is responding to human-caused increases in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.
- All other seasons are also warming.
The latest: A record-smashing September heat wave recently hit the Western U.S. from Phoenix up to Seattle, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
What's next: Expect above-normal temperatures across much of the country this fall, per NOAA's seasonal outlook.
