Sweeping vistas of orange, red, and yellow leaves.
Chilly temperatures, huge coats, and maybe a
mug of steaming apple cider.
While these scenes might not evoke “Florida” in your mind,
fall is still very much present in the Sunshine State,
even if it manifests in slightly different ways than autumn in other parts of the U.S.
The first day of fall is September 22.
Some of the hallmarks of autumn in Florida include cooling temperatures and lower humidity.
But depending on where you live in Florida, fall can feel quite different.
Subtropical North and Central Florida see larger temperature swings than tropical South Florida.
The lowest temperatures ever recorded in November in Florida were in the 20s,
but average fall temperatures are in the 60s and 70s,
with the state really starting to cool down in mid-October.
The dry season also tends to start in October, a definitive shift from the rainy summer.
And though it doesn‘t happen every year,
Fall can be an active time for tropical storms and hurricanes.
Deciduous plants will also change colors in fall in Florida, and sometimes their leaves will fall off.
Changes in temperature and daylength signal to plants that it’s
time to get ready for winter.
Leaves change colors because plants stop producing chlorophyll,
the green pigment they use to capture sunlight.
The absence of green allows other pigments in the plant to take center stage
(like red, yellow, and orange).
The leaves eventually drop off to save precious energy.
Examples of colorful Florida fall trees include
American sweetgum, pignut hickory, and southern sugar maple.
Certain flowers also bloom during autumn,
including goldenrods, coral honeysuckle, and blazing stars.
But while deciduous plants lose their colorful foliage,
evergreen plants do not change because their leaves are adapted to be resistant to winter conditions.
Evergreen trees and plants dominate much of Florida's landscapes,
meaning we see less color change than in other states.
Examples of evergreen plants in the Sunshine State include
longleaf pines, American holly, saw palmetto, and wax myrtle, to name a few.
Florida’s mild climate means it has a longer growing season than other areas.
Many crops come into season during autumn in Florida.
These include: oranges, avocados, carambolas,
cucumbers, squash, sweet corn, and tomatoes.
But it’s not just plants that undergo changes in autumn.
Some animals will slow down their activity, like black bears.
However, they sleep less deeply and for a shorter time than animals up north.
The common loon, sandhill crane, and other migrating birds journey
to the state to enjoy the warmer climate.
Shorebirds like sandpipers, plovers, and juveniles of many species
begin to show up in September,
and raptors like northern harriers and peregrine falcons also make the trek to Florida.
Some of these birds are just passing through on their way to even warmer climates,
while others remain in Florida all winter long.
Humans often “migrate” too during snowbird and tourist season in the state.
Fall is also the beginning of manatee season,
when the creatures migrate from the ocean to warmer waters like springs,
which remain 72 degrees Fahrenheit all year round.
Importantly, climate change is modifying the seasons in Florida and throughout the U.S.
The seasons change later, and the temperatures stay higher for longer.
In Florida, this means average temperatures are higher
than what we would expect for the fall season.
These changes can negatively impact the timing of life stages for many species,
such as when plants grow, when pollinators emerge, and when species migrate.
Climate change also impacts the timing, duration, and intensity of changes in foliage color.
Florida’s autumn might not be as intense as others,
but the transition in seasons still signals big changes in terms of the state’s environment.
What does fall look like for you in the Sunshine State?