MOLINE, Ill. — Meteorological fall officially begins on Sept. 1 each year, however, it seems the end of the fall season keeps getting pushed back further and further. Looking at the data, that is absolutely the case for us here in the Quad Cities and it's the subject of Monday's Ask Andrew.
Is the summer season getting longer here in the Quad Cities?
Absolutely! Our friends at ClimateCentral.org compiled the data going back to the 1970s to see on average how many additional days high temperatures are reaching levels that are considered above the normal, typically 80°+. In that data, they found that we have extended the fall season about a week just here in the Quad Cities alone.
Many of you ask about the data going back even further than the 1970s for comparison. Weather records here in the Quad Cities date back to the late 1870s. Using that data, we are also seeing some slight warming in the fall season itself running from Sept. 1 through the end of November.
If we were to put a trendline on this graph showing how much warming has taken place since 1874, it would show some modest warming has taken place since that time period.
Another hint that shows the fall season is getting warmer and longer is the lack of fall snowfall not only here, but throughout much of the Midwest region. Each red dot on the map below denotes where snowfall trends are decreasing for the fall season.
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Countdown to fall: We're making cinnamon apples on the grill