What are the First Signs of Fall? What Happens to Nature in the Fall?
What signs of fall do you see? In our neck of the woods, the signs of fall are acorns falling and squirrels scurrying about. Hawks and hummers are starting to migrate. Let’s use all five of those senses!
The signs of fall start much earlier than the autumnal equinox, even if the weather still feels summer-like. Look around you. Observe the birds, the plants, the sunrise and set. Here are some signs of fall that you might notice.
See our Autumnal Equinox page to find out when fall begins—plus fall facts and folklore.
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Sunlight
Have you noticed that it’s darker now in the mornings? The sun is rising later—and setting earlier, too. The days get noticeably shorter as it gets dark earlier each night. (See your local sunrise/sunset times and length of day.)
If you closely observe the Sun’s path across the sky, you’ll see the arc is shifting south. Did you know that birds and butterflies migrate along the path of the Sun?
Autumn Air
Breathe in. The outdoors begins to smell a bit different. Do you smell the air changing? Perhaps you smell the plants’ leaves browning or the fallen leaves on the ground?
Insects
Listen at night. You’ll hear the insects singing slower on cool evenings. In fact, did you know that you can tell the temperature by a cricket’s chirp? Find out how.
As the days get shorter and nights get longer, the garden spider spins its web at night, giving it more time to build a larger web during the fall months. (A garden spider does not find food inside your house; in fact, she helps eat insects and prevents them from entering your home!)
Migrating Birds
Listen. Do you hear the calls of geese flying overhead? Hawks, geese, and swallows are migrating south for the winter.
Near The Old Farmer’s Almanac offices in New Hampshire is a mountain called Pack Monadnock, known for being a hawk hotspot. At the summit, you’ll view kettles of hawks soaring in the sky. The hawk migration means their food supply of mice, snakes, and forest creatures is dwindling—a clear sign of summer’s end! Read more about hawks and birds of prey.
Many readers report that their hummingbirds have left or are leaving for warmer climates as early as mid-August.
Some butterflies migrate while others stay closer to home and begin to seek shelter for the cooler months. Try to leave some leaf litter for your beneficial insects!
Bears
Birds aren’t the only creatures hinting that cold weather’s coming. Our Almanac publisher saw a bear crossing the road midway through her walk! Late August to mid-September is prime time for blackberries. Bears are gorging to build up their fat stores before they hibernate.
Folklore says: It is going to be a tough winter if bears are seen berrying.
Squirrels
If you take regular walks outdoors, you’ll see that the squirrels are busy. They’re collecting ripe brown acorns for their winter stash. Lots of seeds are falling now. Watch for squirrels hiding nuts.
According to folklore: If the oak bears much mast [acorns], it foreshadows a long and hard winter.
Other Life
Another way we know autumn is approaching is to observe the plants and fungi.
Squash, pumpkin, nuts, and apples are ready for harvest. The other vegetables in the garden are slowing down, ending their growth cycle.
Acorns, pinecones, and sycamore “helicopters” fall to the ground. Mushrooms and other fungi pop up everywhere.
Grass doesn’t grow as fast. You’ll also see morning dew. Fall flowers such as asters and goldenrods are blooming.
When you’re walking outdoors, seeds will stick to your jacket or socks.
Some trees’ leaves are already falling, and the leaves on many of the trees are starting to change color. Observe the reds, oranges, yellows, and browns of falling leaves. Interestingly, leaves do not change because of cooler temperatures alone. Learn why autumn leaves change colors.
Weather
It’s not just the tree’s colorful clothing that changes. It’s our own! Shorter days mean cooler weather’s coming. The air begins to feel crisper, especially in the morning.
The direction of the wind changes, and windy days become more common. Hurricanes and tropical storms begin to happen.
Get ready to add a layer of clothes for a walk in the woods! Add a soft blanket to the sofa. Get cozy!
And, of course, fall also means picking up the newest edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac for our winter weather predictions! Here’s a preview.
What says “autumn” to you? Please comment below (and include your location!).
Catherine Boeckmann
Fall Flowers and Foliage
Fall Vegetable Gardening
Fall Garden Cleanup
Garden Soil Preparation
Fall Nature
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For me August portends with grandeur the coming of change. Cool air. Earlier sunsets. The last bright blooms of zinnia. Harvest. Best of all constant serenade of crickets
Every moment joy
In west central Michigan, there is a symphony of indicators of the season’s change. The sky shows a softer hue of blue, while the tell-tale nip of fall creeps up on you mostly in the mornings and as the sun is beginning to set. Corn stalks are drying down now. Goldenrod is coming to the end of its show. The air smells of the many local lakes, as well as the smoke of wood fires nw being kindled. And although it has been forty years since I experienced them, those Michigan autumns remain fresh on my mind.
I'm originally from Chicago where September was warm but changing to cooler temperatures, school began and children played outdoors until much colder. October meant sailing on Lake Michigan for those of means, brilliant blue skies, apples, pomegranates, taffy apples , homemade doughnuts and making costumes for Halloween, my favorite holiday full of giddy childhood memories. I've lived in the south where it was too warm to really enjoy the changes, in the desert SW where it was too hot too much of the time, and now the Pacific NW which is perfect for me. The fruit growing region yields tasty pears, oodles of apple choices and gorgeous scenery especially when Mt. Hood is snowcapped by November. The most colorful Autumn, however, was in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont where pumpkins filled fields, leaves burst into view, maple syrup topped pancakes and covered bridges beckoned the traveler to linger just a little longer. How splendid in this change that invites pause, contemplation and serenity. Leaf peeping has never been so grand!
We live in NE TN in the Blue Ridge Mtns & the very 1st sign I see are the Locust trees' leaves turning brown, followed by acorns, which are now falling. Wooly Worms appear, my Basil turns brown & most trees leaves begin to fall. Far less cicadas din at night & baby birds shriek at their mommas for food, bc they've been weaned. Most of our hummingbirds have gone, although I saw one brave fellow just last night (9/18). The spider webs are not only bigger, but thicker as well! If you accidentally walk into one, you know it's much more stout than previous webs! As mentioned above, days are shorter, cooler & much more breezy. I begin making more soups & stews as well. We throw the windows open & welcome cooler, less humid weather to air out the house. We hate to see summer go, but embrace the more comfortable temps & just go with the Fall flow!
The silence in the mornings. Charlestown, MA
One of the very first signs of fall here in the north Georgia mountains is the color of the deer. Their coats are changing from a tan to darker brown. Happens every year right after Labor Day.
I live in Southeastern Kentucky. We have 4 seasons—although most are warmer now than when I was a child in late ‘70s-early ‘80s, and the seasons tend to overlap and mesh. We can have heavy snow in March or April, frost until late May, or close to 90 degree temps in November and December (and sometimes January) all in those same months having ice and snow, too!! Here the saying -if you don’t like the weather, just wait!-is engrained in all of us. The main reason I dislike Fall is the decreased sunlight. It starts in July by a few minutes until by this time of year it is dark by 8pm down from peak Summer at still some light by 9:30pm. Most days in Fall here are still very hot and by the time the end of October arrives, and it starts to really cool, it goes straight to freezing cold!!!!! But my main complaint is the shorter days. I do not like driving at night and I work generally until 6pm-8pm most days. It just means depression to me and most people I know also feel this way. We dread the time “falling back” and wish we could keep EDT as the standard time year round.
Living in Germany 16 years my favorite months were always September-October. No matter what the day's weather the evening skies cleared-up and were sunny and cool. And when one drove in the countryside, you would pass truckloads of turnips. My favorite events to enjoy were the 3-day Zwiebelmarkt (onion festival) in Weimar, GE and the Oktoberfest in Munich or in any small town...Prost to Autumn!
I live in the Arizona desert. We are out half an hour before sunrise to exercise the dog and the last few mornings have been beautiful- not only do we get to sleep a little later, but the morning temperatures have been in the 70’s instead of the 90’s. Fall is my favorite season - we don’t get much fall color, but the cooler temps are very welcome and so are fall rains.
Growing up and living in southeast Missouri most of my life we experience all kinds of weather. Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. From cooler days to the fall harvest. We begin to notice the cooler mornings and nights here with the days still being quite warm. The deer begin to lose their spots from birth and the rut will soon be in full swing. The acorns are maturing and the first signs of fall color are now being seen in some of the leaves with the best colors coming out in October and November. I drive a rural mail route and Ive noticed more squirrels than normal running around on the ground so autumn is soon to be in full swing! I cant wait for the bonfires, smores, and hoodie weather.
