What will fall weather be like in California? ‘El Niño is strengthening’

Summer has been scorching across California, with temperatures climbing as high as 110 degrees in some parts of the state.

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However, relief may be on the way.

With fall just around the corner, Californians can look forward to shorter days, pumpkin spice drinks, changing leaves and, potentially, cooler temperatures.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac — known for its long-range weather forecasts — is predicting a “cool, wet” fall for much of California.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above-normal precipitation across parts of the state from September through November.

“El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter 2026-27,” the Climate Prediction Center said in an Aug. 13 news release.

What will fall weather be like in California?

Here’s what the latest 2026 fall outlooks show:

When is the first day of fall in 2026?

The autumn equinox signals the start of the fall in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

In 2026, the first day of fall will be Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The equinox marks the transition into shorter days and longer nights as the Northern Hemisphere moves toward cooler weather.

What will fall weather be like in California in 2026?

Fall weather will vary widely across California.

“It won’t feel like fall everywhere,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said in its 2026 fall forecast.

Southern California can expect above-normal temperatures in September, followed by “a slightly cooler October,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center’s three-month forecast also calls for above-normal temperatures across California from September through November.

“Normal” is based on the average of all temperatures from 1991 to 2020.

Northern California could have some of the strongest chances for hotter-than-normal temperatures. Areas including Del Norte, Humboldt and Trinity counties have a 50% to 60% chance of seeing above-normal temperatures, according to the forecast.

The Sacramento region and the Central Valley have a 40% to 50% chance of temperatures leaning above normal.

So will the Bay Area, the northern Sierra Nevada and the Central Coast.

Although “September and October will be cooler than normal,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said, there could still be stretches of warmer weather.

Will El Niño impact fall weather in California?

El Niño could impact fall weather across California, according to experts.

There was about an 80% chance that an El Niño pattern would develop this summer, Dan Collins, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center, previously told The Sacramento Bee.

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“El Niño strengthened over the past month,” the Climate Prediction Center said in its Aug. 13 news release.

El Niño can influence weather patterns across the country, with its effects becoming more noticeable during the fall and winter.

“Significant impacts of an El Niño are more likely in autumn and winter, when El Niño years are more likely to experience increased precipitation and cooler temperatures in the south, while less-than-average precipitation and warmer-than-average temperatures are more likely in the north,” Collins said.

The Climate Prediction Center forecasts El Niño to continue strengthening through the end of the year.

“During the October-December 2026 season, there is a 69% chance of a historic event that would exceed the strength of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950,” the Climate Prediction Center said. “With an event of this magnitude, the chances of experiencing impacts consistent with El Niño are larger, but they are not guaranteed.”

Will California see rain in autumn 2026?

Parts of California could see more rain than usual this fall, but precipitation forecasts vary by region.

The Climate Prediction Center’s three-month outlook shows above-normal precipitation in Southern California, while much of the rest of the state has “equal chances” of seeing precipitation above or below average.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is also calling for a wetter-than-normal season.

“Above-average rainfall is anticipated for the West Coast,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said.

Isolated showers could begin as early as mid-September, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“Expect weather that’s cooler and wetter than average,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac said. “September could bring as much as 3 inches more rainfall than usual.”