Austin's rising fall temperatures

Fall is getting warmer in Austin and across the continental U.S., a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: Warmer autumns mean more demand for cooling (and thus higher energy use ), longer wildfire seasons and big changes for farmers and gardeners.

The big picture: Austin's fall temperatures rose 3.5°F on average between 1970 and 2023, according to a new Climate Central report .

• The nonprofit climate research group's analysis is based on average temperatures between September and November each year.

Zoom out: Fall temperatures rose 2.5°F on average between 1970 and 2023 across 234 locations analyzed in a new Climate Central report .

• Reno (+7.7°F), El Paso (+6.1°F) and Las Vegas (+6.1°F) 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.

What's next: Expect above-normal temperatures across much of the country this fall, per NOAA's seasonal outlook .