San Francisco's fall is getting warmer
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Fall is getting warmer nationwide, and especially in California, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: Warmer autumns mean more demand for cooling, higher energy use and longer wildfire seasons.
Driving the news: Average fall temperatures in San Francisco rose 2.2° between 1970 and 2023, per a new Climate Central report.
- The nonprofit climate research group's analysis is based on average temperatures between September and November of each year.
By the numbers: That compares to a nationwide increase of 2.5° on average across 234 cities in the U.S. during the same period.
- The Southwest region overall clocked some of the biggest increases, while the Southeast did comparatively better, increasing by 2° or less.
Zoom out: Reno, Nevada (+7.7°); El Paso, Texas (+6.1°); and Las Vegas (+6.1°) 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.
- That translates to longer and more intense wildfire risk in the western U.S. Wildfire risk, with parts of California, Nevada and Utah seeing at least 14 days of fall fire weather.
What's next: Expect above-normal temperatures across much of the country this fall, per NOAA's seasonal outlook.