It’s already late fall, and time for The Ticker to take stock of all things autumn, from leaves to Halloween costumes to changing weather.

Weather: Tim Hooker, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, says average temperatures call for the rest of the month to have highs in the mid-50s, dropping to highs in the low 40s in early November. Projections call for those averages to be met, with average precipitation expected as well. Though it might seem like it’s been wetter than normal, as of Oct. 21, Traverse City had had 2.11 inches of rain, slightly below the average of 2.19. That contrasts with September, where the 5.93 inches of rain handily eclipsed the average of 3.53 inches. As for snow, Hooker says that’s not on the horizon – yet.

Leaves: Traverse City Street Superintendent Mark Jones tells The Ticker some 7,000 cubic yards of leaves will be picked up in dump trucks or via a loader (a spring pickup nets about a third of that; this past spring it gathered 2,375 yards).  Leaf pickup runs from now till sometime in November or early in December, depending on when the leaves fall and when the snow arrives. “If it’s ¾ snow and ¼ leaves, it’s a huge mess,” Jones says. The leaves are hauled to a compost facility, and by next summer Jones says they’ll be completely composted.

Pumpkins & donuts: Maria Lammers, owner of Gallagher’s Farm Market on M-72 just west of Traverse City, says she sells around 100,000 pounds of the almost-jack-o’-lanterns each year. “We’re pretty close to that this year,” she says. The market also sells some 3,000 pumpkin donuts – plain, glazed, or cinnamon sugared – every single Saturday and Sunday (weekdays typically slightly less). Of course, you’ll want to get your fix at Gallagher’s while you can – the market closes for the season on Halloween.

Halloween: Activities vary from year to year, mostly depending on Mother Nature. At Crystal Mountain, the Haunted Trail can see 300-400 people on a good night, according to Dee Dee Lentz, director of marketing. The resort’s Haunted Forest was a casualty of trepidation over weather; Lentz says it was so labor-intensive that a weather wipeout was too costly to continue it.

At the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in Northport, Executive Director Stefanie Staley says she expects around 1,500 to 2,000 for the Haunted Lighthouse event this year, on par or slightly more than in previous years. While it’s advertised as being appropriate for anyone age 2 to 99, it’s really geared toward kids. “The main floor is decorated, there will be games and an outdoor treasure hunt,” she says. Youngsters are encouraged to be in costume (the final date is today, Sunday, Oct. 27).

At the Halloween Superstore next to Lucky’s Market in TC, manager Joe Kaubenaw says the store sells about 60 percent of its 500,000 costumes every year – the remainder of which will go on sale for up to half-off Nov. 1 and 2.

Popular costumes this year? The usual favorites – zombies or Disney characters – along with a growing niche of characters from computer games and anime.