Utah has some of the nation's fastest-rising fall temperatures, according to a new analysis.
Why it matters: A warmer autumn means more demand for cooling, higher energy use and longer wildfire seasons.
State of play: Fall temperatures rose 4.5°F in Weber and Davis counties between 1970 and 2023, per a new Climate Central report.
That's the second largest rise in the country, behind only El Paso County, Texas.
The nonprofit research group's analysis is based on average temperatures from September to November of each year.
Zoom in: Salt Lake, Rich and Morgan counties also saw temps jump at least 4°, with all Utah counties except Millard and San Juan rising by at least 3°.
By the numbers: In Salt Lake City itself, the hottest fall was in 2016, with an average temperature of 57.5°.
My thought bubble: 2016 was the year I ordered a dump truck load of supposedly "well-rotted" horse manure for my garden, thinking I had escaped the brunt of summer.
Instead, a massive pile of fresh poo was dumped into my driveway — right as temperatures climbed to the 90s.
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.