With temperatures still reaching the 90s in the middle of September, plenty of people around Chattooga County may be asking the same question: When is it finally going to feel like fall?

The short answer is — probably not just yet.

The forecast keeps afternoon temperatures around 90 degrees or higher through much of this week, and there is not yet a strong indication of a sustained cool-down.

That doesn’t mean a cold front couldn’t bring a couple of cooler mornings along the way. September in Northwest Georgia can quickly swing between summer-like heat and brief hints of fall.

Fall Arrives Next Week — At Least On The Calendar

Meteorological fall began September 1, while astronomical fall begins Tuesday, September 22.

But temperatures don’t necessarily follow the calendar.

September in North Georgia can still behave very much like summer. Hot afternoons can continue well into the month, interrupted occasionally by cooler fronts.

The National Weather Service describes fall in North Georgia as a season with considerable temperature variability, meaning an early taste of cool weather can easily be followed by another stretch of warm afternoons.

October Is When Things Usually Begin To Change

For those waiting on open-window weather, chilly mornings and sweatshirt evenings, October is when the odds begin improving considerably.

Days continue getting shorter, nights become longer and increasingly strong cold fronts begin pushing farther south into the Southeast.

That doesn’t mean hot weather suddenly disappears on October 1. Northwest Georgia can still experience warm spells well into October.

But as the month progresses, cooler mornings become much more common. Overnight temperatures begin dipping into the 50s more regularly, and eventually stronger cold fronts can bring the first mornings in the 40s.

When Will The Leaves Start Changing?

Cooler weather also brings another question this time of year: When will the leaves begin changing?

Some isolated color can begin appearing in North Georgia during September, particularly at higher elevations, but the main show is normally still several weeks away.

Georgia State Parks says the state’s most vibrant fall colors generally arrive in late October and early November. Mountain locations typically change first, with the color gradually spreading into lower elevations.

Weather plays an important role in just how colorful the season becomes. According to Georgia State Parks, some of the best conditions for vibrant fall foliage are warm, sunny days followed by cool — but not freezing — nights.

That makes the weather during the next several weeks important not only for temperatures, but also for the quality and timing of this year’s fall color.

Georgia’s Leaf Watch Returns For 2026

Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites has its 2026 Leaf Watch available to help residents follow the progression of fall color across the state.

The online guide features fall-color destinations, trails and overlooks, lodging information, fall events, hiking safety information and a fall foliage prediction map. As the season develops, visitors can use Leaf Watch to help decide where the best color can be found.

And Chattooga County residents don’t have to travel far.

James H. “Sloppy” Floyd State Park near Summerville is featured by Georgia State Parks as one of the state’s “Hidden Gems” for fall color. The park has about five miles of hiking trails along with access to the Pinhoti Trail, and the Marble Mine Trail provides another popular destination during the fall season.

Just up Lookout Mountain, Cloudland Canyon State Park is listed among Georgia’s most popular destinations for fall color, with its overlooks providing sweeping views of the changing hardwood forests in and around the canyon.

Georgia State Parks encourages people planning fall trips to consider weekday visits because parking at popular parks can reach capacity during the height of leaf season.

What About The First Freeze?

A truly cold morning is normally still several weeks away.

According to the National Weather Service, the average first freeze across North Georgia outside the mountains generally occurs in late October.

The actual date can vary significantly from year to year and even from one part of a county to another.

That’s particularly true in Chattooga County, where elevations range from the valleys around Summerville, Trion and Lyerly to the considerably higher terrain around Cloudland and Lookout Mountain.

Higher elevations can experience noticeably different nighttime temperatures than the valleys, while sheltered low-lying areas can also become particularly cold on clear, calm nights.

So When Will It Feel Like Fall?

For now, summer isn’t ready to give up.

We’ll likely get occasional cooler mornings and passing cold fronts during the next few weeks, but October is when Chattooga County residents can reasonably expect those cooler mornings to become more frequent and longer stretches of genuinely fall-like weather to become increasingly likely.

Then comes what many Northwest Georgia residents wait for all year — cool mornings, comfortable afternoons and the hillsides beginning their annual transformation from green to shades of yellow, orange and red.

And once October arrives, Georgia’s Leaf Watch will be worth watching right along with the weather forecast.