I hope it’s not just me. My backyard is a carpet of acorns, and they just keep falling. There are so many it is painful to walk with bare feet. With such an abundance our younger dog started to eat them—which we tried to stop, but it’s difficult when dogs like to go outside, and this good boy loves to run and play and chase squirrels—and he got really sick because of it. This experience, no doubt, will provide him additional incentive when chasing the squirrels who inhabit our backyard, and are no doubt enjoying a bumper crop of fodder.
This is a mast year for acorns, of course. Scientists don’t precisely understand why oak trees, every two to five years, produce an abundance of acorns. There are some theories, one of the most prominent of which is that a springtime drought is good for pollination. And if you go back to when the oak trees were pollinating this year in early March, much of Houston had not seen much rain for a few weeks. So things were pretty dry. But we don’t know for sure. Most likely it is part of the oak natural cycle to ensure that new trees will grow.
There are also a lot of non-scientific theories that suggest mast years portend a hard winter ahead. But I’d slot those into the category of old wives’ tales, not that I have anything against old wives! So I’m not sure this mast year has much to tell us about the upcoming winter. The only forecast I’m reasonably confident in is that we’ll see a bumper crop of squirrels next spring.
Thursday
As expected, temperatures this morning are quite cold. Much of Houston has dropped into the mid- or upper-30s. We’re going to get close to our record low for today, 34 degrees set in 1991, but probably will remain a couple of degrees above this temperature. In any case lows this morning are about 20 degrees below normal. It’s also the turning point for the current cold spell, and marks the beginning of a return to warmer conditions. With sunny skies we’re going to see high temperatures reach the upper 60s today, with light easterly winds. Low temperatures tonight will be about 10 degrees warmer for most locations.
Friday
The warming trend continues as high pressure fully shifts to the east, allowing for the onshore flow to resume. After temperatures start out at about 50 degrees on Friday morning, they’ll rise into the mid-70s with mostly sunny skies. Lows on Friday night will only drop to around 60 degrees.
Saturday and Sunday
The weekend looks warm, sunny, and mild. Highs on both days will be about 80 degrees. By Sunday night, overnight temperatures will only be dropping into the mid-60s, so most of fall’s chill will be gone. Dewpoints will also be creeping up so it will feel humid, but not Houston-humid, if you know what I mean. And unless you just moved here in the last week, you probably do. Rain chances are about 10 percent near the coast, and closer to zero percent further inland.
Next week
Most of next week looks warm, with highs generally in the mid-80s, or possibly a tick higher on some days. Lows are going to increase to the upper 60s, and humidity will continue to rise a bit. Rain chances increase toward the end of next week in association with what probably will be our next front. But I don’t have much confidence in the timing or strength of said front. So if you like cooler and drier air, my advice is to spend some quality time outside today and tomorrow. Just, you know, don’t let your dog feast upon the abundant buffet of acorn delights.
Trees will overproduce when they’ve been seriously overstressed and sense illness/death – they put out fruit/nuts in an attempt to reproduce once more.
(That happened with both our dwarf fruit trees. I was shocked at the incredible amount of fruit they put out. Bushels worth. But then they died within a year.)
Hopefully these acorn harvests are just a cycle, and not a harbinger. Let’s keep our lovely trees.
🐿
Yes, I’ve also noticed an abundance of acorns at our place out here in the country. They’re all over the yard, especially just off the front porch.
First, thanks to you guys for the weather info. It’s my go to for the best possible weather information. Love the side story today about the acorn crop. I’m in what is referred to as “the golden years” and can remember my parents and grandparents discussing bumper crop of acorn’s and what that meant (usually a hard winter). Weather forecasting has come a long way from the time I was born. Thanks and keep up the good work. P.S. I know you guy are not that old, but I can remember people hanging rattle snakes on fences to bring rain.
Trees will overproduce when they’ve been seriously overstressed and sense illness/death – they put out fruit/nuts in an attempt to reproduce once more.
(That happened with both our dwarf fruit trees – put out an incredible amount of fruit. Then they died within a year.)
Hopefully these acorn harvests are just a cycle, and not a harbinger.
🐿
it’s called a mast year. When the trees are badly stressed as they were this summer they put much more of their energy into acorns. Evolution’s way of continuing the species.
That happened spectacularly in 2011
Yes, acorns are toxic to dogs! You can buy a nut roller pickup device on Amazon to get them collected. They come in several sizes for whatever size nuts you are trying to pick up.
The inside of the Acorns are orange…like cheese popped corn that comes in the tri-section holiday tins! Birds should benefit too by the number of smaller insects (worms) whom also are enjoying large amounts of fruit!
Reading this morning, I thought your were living at my place. I have acorns all I’ve my front yard and every time I let my Golden out he smelling the acorns and I guess they smell good because some find their way into his mouth. On the squirrels this year, it seems to be way lower than prior years. Interesting to see what next year will bring.
Thanks for the update! I for one love all the acorns dropping, there is something satisfying about the crunch they make underfoot! Not as many as the fall of 2011 but still a good drop.
Now I can’t tell if trees are brown from cold or summer heat!
Also, fun fact: Hobby Airport recorded only 4 days of 90° and above for October 2023. That’s the least since October 2013!
Thank you for the explanation about acorns. We have two mature pin oak trees close to our house. Acorns have been raining down for weeks. Reminds me of one time my wife and I were on a road trip near Jackson MS. Stopped in a roadside park during a cicada 17 year cycle. The sound was unbelievable!
I will say I’ve noticed the acorns are abundant on the oaks that did not have a trimming in the summer…like mine. Mine are dropping millions, but neighbors who had theirs trimmed hardly have any acorns. The plot thickens….
We also had a massive acorn drop in 2011 following the drought that year.
My 60 year old live oak has an abundance of oak apples this year (has never had acorns) , more than in the past, my 2 year old shumard has acorns but not that many. Other neighbors who have older shumards and other species have seen a glut.
We used to rake/bag the acorns and give to Lisa Seger (Blue Heron Farms) for her pigs. She goes to Urban Harvest Mkt and the Rice Mkt to sell her wonderful goat milk/cheese products.
Dogs can die from eating acorns (kidney failure). Like you, we have an inquisitive, squirrel chasing, acorn nibbling dog that we have to keep a watch on.
Bumper crops of acorns and pecans here! I had assumed that was from the dry summer and not the spring. Good to know. The squirrels are ignoring the former in favor of the latter and planting them all over the yard, which either portends a really cold winter or pecan saplings. 😉 Hope your pup feels better, Eric. The shells can be gnarly when ingested.
Has anyone else noticed piles of acorns this fall?
~~~
Why yes, yes I have. Every morning when I go out to get the paper in my bare feet and do my best to dodge them along the way. I must look like a kid playing hop scotch to my neighbors.
PS for Eric — you can try putting a mesh muzzle on your pup when he’s out in the yard so he can sniff but not eat. They’re available on Amazon.
Thanks for the post, was witnessing this abundance of acorns early this week. Played my golf course and as I love so much going into the trees to play my ball after my tee shots, was literarily attacked by those acorns at every gust of wind! Glad there is a scientific reason and it is not a curse for my bad game!
You’re not the only yard full of acorns! We’ve been picking up thousands of mostly unripe, green nuts. Our older dog rolls them around in her mouth and then carries her prize over to trade-in for a treat. Our young, demon dog does not do this cute trick and the battles to keep him from ingesting the entire yard are epic. We started picking up by hand and shortly after crippling back pain decided to use poop scoops with rakes. We just bought a rolling nut gatherer made for this exact problem and are rolling our eyes at ourselves for how difficult we made the last month of daily/hourly acorn clean up. Do yourselves a giant favor and buy the roller thingy!
There definitely has been alot of acorns in my backyard lately. When I am sitting outside I can hear them raining down on to the ground. I had one hit my head the other day. This is the most I’ve seen in my area since the fall of 2016 and the fall of 2012.
You’re not the only one with a yard filled to the brim with acorns this year! We are getting thousands of mainly green, unripe nuts. After back-breaking attempts to pick up by hand we started using pooper scoopers with rakes, but even multiple daily clean-ups aren’t enough. Our young, demon dog has tried to ingest every acorn he can and the arguments are epic. But there is a real solution! A rolling acorn/nut gatherer. Buy one, it’s amazingly easy and so much faster to use.
“The only forecast I’m reasonably confident in is that we’ll see a bumper crop of squirrels next spring.”
I’m so excited to hear that! I love squirrels and hope you’re right!
Yeah so many acorns. So much sweeping. So many stains on my driveway :/ this will be the second winter in my home and dont remember dealing with so many corns last winter.
The deer have got into a feeding trance over the abundance of acorns, two mornings in a row I had to get out and shoo them out of our driveway, as they had no ambition to move out of my way otherwise. There must be something addicting about the acorns to the whitetail deer. I have never seen anything like it.
I come from a family of hunters and bumper acorn crop meant fatter deer and hogs. We would always would depend on the acorns to guide us on our upcoming hunting season.
The approach you all take to communicating with me is spectacular! I get the weather! But I always appreciates the other vignettes… I have lots of acorns… And you have lots to tell me! Thank you thank you thank you!
I’ve been looking forward to a recap of October weather where you show actuals against averages on a daily basis! Coming soon??
My grandnephew collected acorns two years ago and every time I went out to walk my dog I collected them for him. I had bags and bags of them. Then I started finding disgusting grubs near where the bags of acorns were stored. Totally stomach churning, so no acorn gathering anymore. I now know the squirrels leave the acorns that the grubs get into (apparently they bore a teeny little hole to get into them).
Gave me the willies!
My husband was just commenting about the large number of acorns in our yard this year! Glad to understand the reason!
They land on the sidewalks quicker than we can blow them off. Banner year for the squirrel population.
I don’t know about 2011 acorns, but Spring of 2012 had monstrously huge golden yellow clouds, literally literally, of oak pollen with every gust of wind.
Eric,
scoop them up, get 30 or 40 /1-gallon black plastic planter containers, fill them up 3/4 way with planting soil. Add about 4 or 5 acorns to each container. Push them into the soil until barely covered. Fill the rest of the container with dried leaves. Water until the leaves are wetted. Forget about them until spring. As the seeds start to germinate keep the strongest seedling and cull the rest. Now you are on your way to becoming a tree farmer. Let them grow in the pots for a year to establish a good root system. Plant them the following year after the first leaf.
I followed this procedure 18 years ago and my seedling have grown to 30′.
Rule 1: Always plant new plants in larger holes-one gallon pot plants need 5 gallon holes and so on.
Rule 2: Never, Never -Never plant a tree for yourself- always plant it for the generations to come.