Pumpkin spice latte season is here and September is just around the corner, and in places like Kentucky that also sometimes means cooler, fall temperatures.
When a break from the summer heat hits, some become overly optimistic that fall season is in full swing, only to be met with dangerously high temperatures days later. This is known as a “false fall,” and it signals to trees that colder weather is coming.
Here’s what we know.
What is a ‘false fall’ and how does it impact trees?
AccuWeather’s lead long-range expert Paul Pastelok said to USA TODAY that early cool temperatures help signal to the trees that fall is near.
“Trees are very smart,” he said, explaining that the shortening days is also a factor for the trees to change, but “the weather can have a kind of a push on when these trees start to shut down.”
“Getting this week of cool weather, the trees start to notice that kind of stuff. You may start to see things start to shut down a little bit on and a little bit of less green tint in the green trees going forward here in the next week or so,” Pastelok said.
When will the fall season hit Kentucky?
The forecast for August-October shows warmer-than-average temperatures are likely across most of the U.S.
Fall officially begins on Monday, Sept. 22 and the Farmers’ Almanac says early chills will hit northern regions while warmth will linger in the South.
“This fall will keep us on our toes,” the Farmers’ Almanac said.
A July forecast from the Climate Prediction Center, however, predicts “above-normal temperatures for almost the entire country,” through October, USA TODAY reported.
Fall 2025 First glimpses of fall 2025 forecast warn of high temperatures across USA
NWS weather forecast for Louisville, Kentucky
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 85 and a low around 66. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: Patchy fog between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny with a high near 86 and a low around 67.
Sunday: Sunny with a high near 85 and a low around 58.
Monday: Sunny with a high near 78 and a low around 54.
Tuesday: Sunny with a high near 78 and a low around 54.
Wednesday: Sunny with a high near 79 and a low around 53.
Thursday: Sunny with a high near 82.
Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What is a ‘false fall?’ Trees can sense it. See Kentucky 2025 fall forecast