When to expect Richmond's first freeze
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It might not feel like it yet, but Richmond's first fall freeze is weeks away.
Why it matters: Get ready to break out your puffer jackets.
The big picture: Our average first freeze is Nov. 2, nonprofit climate research group Climate Central says.
- That's the average first day temperatures hit 32°F or below between 1991 and 2020.
- Other parts of Virginia, like the Shenandoah area, might already be seeing freezing temperatures, per the National Weather Service.
Zoom in: Fall is getting warmer here and the rest of the country, a Climate Central analysis finds.
- Fall temps rose 2.2°F in Richmond between 1970 and 2023. They rose 2.5°F on average across 234 U.S. locations.
- The analysis is based on average temperatures between September and November of each year.
Yes, but: Richmond's latest first freeze came in 1985, on Dec. 2 that year, per the Science Museum of Virginia.
- And in 2020, the first freeze didn't happen until Nov. 18.
- The River City is, however, well past its earliest freeze of Oct. 3 in 1974 — and our chances of getting back to a freeze by Halloween time are likely getting lower each year.
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.
What's next: All other seasons are also warming, so maybe keep the thick winter coats at bay for now.