Scientists say climate change is making the fall season warmer in Kansas and across the midwest. Warm days aren’t unheard of in the fall. But compared to 50 years ago, Wichita now gets an average of two extra weeks per year of unseasonably warm autumn days. A new report says a typical autumn day in Wichita is now 3 degrees warmer than it used to be. Topeka’s fall weather has warmed more than 2 degrees and Kansas City’s – more than 1 degree.
A warmer fall extends allergy and mosquito seasons. It can also increase wildfire risk and disrupt animal behavior, like bird migration. Some say man made global warming is to blame, others say it’s a cycle the world goes through every thousand years or so and not a man-made issue.
