Wet Fall To Arrive Late In CA: Old Farmer's Almanac Prediction

CALIFORNIA — Fall weather will arrive late in California this year, according to a new fall 2024 forecast from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The outlook also offers predictions on when fall foliage should be at its most brilliant here.

According to the forecast, blazing temperatures will persist throughout the Golden States with temperatures expected to be hotter than average statewide. While some residents may see leaves change as early as September, most of the state won't see characteristic fall-colored leaves until late October into early November.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, Californians are also in store for another year of heavy rain. Historic storms this past winter wreaked havoc on cities statewide, causing landslides, sinkholes, and even tornadoes in several cities.

La Niña is favored to emerge during August-October (70 percent chance) and persist into the Northern Hemisphere winter 2024-25 with a 79 percent chance during November-January, according to the National Weather Service. Although La Niña climate patterns tend to bring drier, warmer conditions to California, that is not always the case. The historic winter and spring storms of 2022 occurred during a third consecutive year of La Niña conditions.

Temperatures and precipitation together can affect the brilliance of fall leaves. The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s interactive fall foliage map (yellow marks the beginning of foliage season, orange and red are peak season, and brown is past peak).

In California, leaves should peak around the beginning of November, according to the forecast.

If you have a fall vacation planned, here’s what to expect in different regions of the country:

The hot steamy temperatures of summer will continue well into fall this year, especially in the western half of the country. Warmer-than-average temperatures are expected in the Heartland; Pacific Northwest; Texas and Oklahoma and the High Plains, and into Missouri, Iowa and part of Illinois; the Pacific Southwest and Desert Southwest; and Hawaii and Alaska.

Cooler-than-average temperatures are expected in Florida and the Southeast, as well as the Lower Lakes, Ohio Valley, the Appalachians and Atlantic Corridor.

Near-average temperatures are expected from the Gulf Coast to Arkansas and Tennessee, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and most of New England.