This Just In: Fall May Not Be The Same This Year

Some (heart) breaking news, friends: fall is going to feel somewhat different this year.

As you may know, fall is our favorite season of the year. The colors, the feelings, the food. All of it. If we could make it be fall year-long a la Gilmore Girls, I know we both would in a heartbeat. And it’s not just me! There is actual scientific proof (sort of) that fall, or autumn, is everyone’s favorite season.

However, in a new report released by CNN meteorologists Hannah Gard and Allison Chinchar, they say that warmer than usual temperatures are slated for the fall months this year. This warmer weather, along with major drought, will mostly affect areas in the West. Gard and Chinchar explain, “A lack of rain in the West will cause many trees, especially shallow-rooted ones like maples or birches, to go into survival mode, "shutting down" early and preparing for winter.”

They go on to say that, “This stressful condition causes leaves to turn brown and fall off before they reach their peak color. The leaves that do change color will do so very briefly and can have more muted colors than normal.”

Isn’t that some of the worst news you’ve ever heard? We look forward to fall and October & November probably more than any other months, so the thought of the leaves being anything less than vibrant oranges and beautiful golds and cozy browns has me feeling all kinds of upset.

However, there is a silver lining: “Although the temperatures could be warmer than average, it doesn't mean things won't cool off. Cooler temperatures will start to roll across much of the country, but they might not be as cold as usual,” the article explains.

Because we live in Tennessee, we are pretty used to later-than-usual cooler weather in our part of the country. Normally, while people are posting about cool, crisp fall mornings and wearing flannels, we are still sweating in shorts and tank tops. We do get a beautiful autumn, it’s just always a few weeks later than everyone else’s.

So, as we do every year, we will enjoy the season and make the most of it, with candles and blankets and baking and sweatshirts and our favorite movies and spending more time outside than we do in the summer 😂. Like any season, fall is what you make it. So even though it might look and feel different, we plan to still soak up every last bit of it.

You may want to read the whole article, by the way. There are a lot of interesting (and pretty startling) facts in it that are good to know going forward!!