It’s too soon for ‘Pumpkin Spice Season’ so stop asking, you weirdos

Despite it being a sweltering mid-July day, some freaks are already trying to manifest fall and specifically, fall-themed beverages.

Google search trends reveal people — in Philadelphia and beyond — are already trying to figure out when Starbucks will bring back the brand’s signature Pumpkin Spice Lattes. And to that we ask: are y’all OK?

It’s not a new phenomenon. “Seasonal creep,” the phenomenon where early indicators of a new season begin to crop up, like pumpkin beer in August or Christmas decorations in October, has been happening for years.

Experts say part of it has to do with climate change shifting and sometimes delaying characteristic weather, causing people to pine for things they don’t have. Another major factor for seasonal creep is consumerism, and companies’ desire to extend a seasonal product’s shelf life for as long as possible. And, of course, some people just enjoy fall!

Steffy Degreff, an influencer and author of “A Home for Every Season,” is famously fond of fall and begins celebrating and preparing her home’s decor for the season starting on July 5. Fans also eagerly await Caitlin Covington, the face of “Christian Girl Autumn,” to make her annual trip to Vermont to symbolize the start of the season.

The push happens every year. While summer is still violently summering, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and especially home decor shops start bombarding us with the fall stuff.

A Lowe’s in South Philadelphia on Sunday was already selling a $300 5-foot-tall motion-activated skeleton DJ. A Home Goods-Marshalls in Glen Mills was overflowing with ghost-themed kitchen towels, blankets, and ceramic pumpkins last Friday.

And on Monday, Starbucks joined the ranks of early fall observers, announcing that the brand’s famous Pumpkin Spice Latte (or PSL) is set to return almost a full month ahead of actual fall’s expected return.

To make things easy, here are some frequently asked and answered questions:

PSLs are back on Tuesday, Aug. 26, according to a Starbucks news release.

In the Northern Hemisphere, fall kicks off with the autumnal equinox — aka the point where the sun crosses the celestial equator and there are equal hours of day and night. That will happen on Monday, Sept. 22, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

What do you think? Agriculture experts say pumpkin season kicks off in mid-September and will last through November. You can’t pick pumpkins year-round, pumpkin patches aren’t even active yet. If you’re seriously craving it, you can go for canned pumpkin puree, which for the record, is what Starbucks recommends using in a homemade pumpkin spice syrup. On that note …

The in-cafe version includes a pumpkin spice sauce made from sugar, condensed milk, pumpkin puree, and warm fall spices, according to Starbucks.

On its website, Starbucks published an at-home recipe for PSLs. It calls for a latte to be mixed with homemade pumpkin spice syrup.

Local coffee shops across Philly are leaning into hyper-seasonal fruits when it comes to flavoring coffee.

At Loretta’s, a blueberry thyme syrup is being promoted right now and can be added to the Old City shop’s coconut water iced Americano.

Forîn, with locations in Fishtown and on South Street, has a stone fruit syrup that can be added to matcha or espresso and tonic water drinks.

Several coffee shops, including Forîn, Reanimator, and Elixr are incorporating strawberries into beverages.

It’s blueberry season, which means Italian bakeries in the region are offering specials, like blueberry cannolis, ice cream, and milkshakes.

And, in case you missed the memo (or the intense lines), it’s tomato season right now and delis and sandwich shops — especially Middle Child — are in the throes of BLT season, a somewhat feral time.