What Our Readers Love About Fall

 Jan Wesner Childs

Published: September 22, 2023

What's your favorite thing about fall?

Here’s what some of our Morning Brief newsletter fans had to say, along with a few weather facts about what is for many the favorite season of the year.

“We love camping in the fall. The wonderful state parks in MI are less crowded and the leaves are beautiful as they begin to change. Autumn campfires are the best!” - Amy Martinie

Amy nailed what so many others told us. Fall is all about color. Leaf peeping in the Upper Great Lakes and Midwest typically peaks in early to mid-October. Check out our fall foliage maps to track changing leaves wherever you are.

Animals have many reason to love fall, too.

“​​Cool Crisp air, horse(s) start their winter coat, skeeters are reduced, preparations for winter start.” - Barry Hardegree

For most of the U.S., "skeeter" season peaks with summer heat. Mosquitoes are warm-blooded and can’t function in temperatures below 50 degrees. They thrive at 80 or above, sending females into a biting frenzy to get the blood proteins they need to produce eggs.

Scarlet tanagers like this one might be seen migrating through South Carolina in autumn.

“In central western South Carolina (15 miles from Augusta, GA) fall means being able to comfortably sit on the front porch and watch the birds and squirrels in the yard. Speaking to neighbors going by and just generally enjoying comfortable down time.” - M Meeds

Squirrels and migrating birds make for great nature TV in autumn. Research has shown that a single fox squirrel can bury up to 10,000 nuts per year, including acorns and other types that are especially abundant in fall. As for the birds, more than 2.5 million flew over South Carolina Wednesday night, according to Birdcast, a website that tracks them on radar.

A woman dressed as La Catrina takes part in the 13th Annual Florida Day of the Dead celebration in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Nov. 5, 2022.

“I live in Florida … what is this ‘autumn’ you speak of?” – Evan Morgan

For Evan and others in Florida, fall might not mean much of a weather change - yet. Depending on location, most of the Sunshine State doesn’t usually see a low temperature below 60 until well into October. It's also still hurricane season. Two of the most notable to make landfall in late September or October include Ian last year and Michael in 2018.

Cypress Falls players warm up as temperatures still exceed 100 degrees before a high school football game at Pridgeon Stadium, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Cypress.

“Here in Midland, Texas, we don't have the awe inspiring color change of fall … However, there is still an interesting change in the atmosphere that lets us know that a change is occurring. It can be 100 degrees, but it feels different, and we know autumn has arrived.” - Penny Crosson

Fortunately for folks in Midland, it rarely reaches 100 degrees in fall. The latest 100-degree day in the past 23 years was Oct. 2, 2000. More recently, the last 100-degree day of the year occurred on Sept. 27 in 2020 and Sept. 20 in 2021.

A woman walks in Central Park on Oct. 29, 2022, in New York City.

“I love fall because not just the beautiful colors but turning off the AC and saving money for a couple of weeks before turning on the heat!” - Joy Marie Park

This is one a lot of people can relate to, except maybe Evan in Florida and Penny in Texas. And it’s especially important to the one in six families in the U.S. who struggled to pay their utility bills as temperatures soared over the summer.

Snow on bright fall leaves at Ledges State Park in Boone County, Iowa, in 2020.

“The only thing I don't like about fall is what comes after it.” - Della Patton

Brace yourself, Della. The first day of winter is Dec. 21, just 89 days after the start of fall.

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.