Utah's fall is warming faster than almost anywhere else in the nation

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 the Salt Lake metro area — which includes both Tooele and Salt Lake counties — the hottest fall was in 2016, with an average temperature of 57.5°.

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.

• Other seasons are also warming.

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.

Read more: Mapped: Utah's fall colors forecast for 2024