Hotter Halloweens? Climate change is making them more likely

Climate change is making crisp fall weather less common. This year, it’s been an unseasonably warm Halloween week, and we’re likely to see a lot more of that if global carbon pollution isn’t significantly slashed. Perhaps the scariest part? Those emissions have continued to rise.

Hotter Halloweens

Fall temperatures across the U.S. are getting hotter, and they’re warming fastest here in the Southwest, according to the scientists at Climate Central, a nonprofit that visualizes and localizes climate data. The warming is driven by carbon pollution in the atmosphere, largely as a result of burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

The local outlook

Average fall temperatures in L.A. and Orange counties have gone up by more than 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970, meaning that instead of highs in the 70s, highs are pushing toward the low 80s at this time of year.

In Riverside County, fall temperatures have increased by 4 degrees over the last half century. You can explore the trends across the U.S. visualized by Climate Central here.

Deserts warming more quickly

Warming in the deserts is happening more quickly than in other regions. Temperatures across the inland desert regions of California are expected to increase by as much as 14 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, according to the state’s climate assessment. Climate Central’s analysis found Palm Springs, for example, has seen an additional 15 days of above-average fall temperatures since 1970.

What’s next?

The world’s best scientists say global carbon emissions need to be halved by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a target set to avoid the worst effects of climate change. That requires shifting to more renewable sources of energy, cutting pollution across sectors and even changing our diets. But experts are increasingly acknowledging that goal is unlikely, since atmospheric carbon pollution has yet to decline.

The good news? Cutting warming even by a fraction of a degree can still help us significantly avoid even worse extreme weather, and save millions of lives.