The calendar says fall, but California's mild climate isn't the only thing that's confusing the seasons. An expert with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California says the lack of rainfall, declining groundwater levels and irrigation cutbacks due to the drought are causing some trees to drop leaves early, reported Jan Sears in the Riverside Press Enterprise.

"If you live on a street with sycamores or maples, you usually get a little treat in the fall when they turn colors," Bill Patzert said. "This year, you have already been raking their leaves."

Patzert believes the fall may be colorless in Southern California this year, but