As the summer of 2020 fades into the distance, the cool, crisp days of Autumn will soon be upon us.

According to Mike Dangelo, meteorologist for the National Weather Service out of State College, this weekend is expected to be unseasonably cold, possibly five to ten degrees below normal at night. The bright sun will keep daytime highs close to normal, though be prepared, as a freeze warning has been issued for early this morning.

Dangelo said temperatures will slightly warm up early next week and then go back to normal, with daytime highs in the low 70s and nighttime lows in the mid to upper 40s.

Dangelo mentioned the wildfires on the west coast do have an effect on the temperatures here in the east, lowering daily temperatures around four degrees. Though the skies became a bit clearer Friday, he said the smoke should be making a return as long as the fires are still burning.

“That milkiness or haziness to the sky is going to come back,” he said. “It has been keeping the temperatures in the daytime down about four degrees. Overnight, it doesn’t have the same effect, though it may make the start a bit less brilliant.”

The Autumnal Equinox is at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, leaves will be starting to change the week of Sept. 26 to Oct. 2, with a peak about two to three weeks away.