Unseasonably warm fall delays first frost in Mid-Missouri

As we head deeper into October, some of the usual hallmarks of fall are missing so far this season.

Mid-Missourians have been sipping pumpkin spice and heading to pumpkin patches while temperatures remain above average and summer-like.

Warmer fall days have staved off any chances of seeing frost yet, and we're about to be behind schedule. In Columbia, the average date for the first frost of the season is October 10th, but that chilly milestone is nowhere in sight.

This delay is part of a broader pattern of warmer-than-normal fall weather, influenced by short-term patterns like high pressure systems and warmer air masses tracking across the region.

Long-term effects from climate change are also pushing frosts later into fall. In St. Louis, the number of freeze-free fall days has increased by 11 days in the last 50 years, according to Climate Central. Nights are also warming faster than any other time of day as the climate changes.

For gardeners and farmers, this extended growing season could mean more time to harvest summer crops. But warmer temperatures also keep pollen and bugs around longer.

The forecast remains warm and dry into mid-October. The Climate Prediction Center's monthly outlooks for October indicate above-average temperatures and low rainfall throughout the month.