Graphics: Fall leaves may be less vibrant in 2023 as foliage suffers under excessive heat
Can you feel it? That fall feeling has begun.
The autumnal equinox, which marks the beginning of astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere, signals the beginning of a shift in the landscape to brilliant hues of red, yellow and orange. Days will shrink as the sun rises later and nightfall arrives earlier, until the winter solstice.
Trees across the country usually transition slowly to more vibrant colors. But scorching heat and humidity that hung over most the Great Plains, Midwest and South this summer probably will affect how colorful our fall foliage will be.
Summer’s record-setting heat dome hit central US
In August, several regions in the middle of the country sweltered in heat that was either record-breaking or very close to it.
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According the U.S. Drought Monitor, the number of lower 48 states that experienced drought increased for the eighth week in a row as of Sept. 5.
Dull colors can result from drought and extreme, persistent heat because they put trees under more stress. Any spring or summer drought can stall the beginning of color. A drought or extensive heat at the end of the summer, which is the case this year, may result in trees going dormant early for the winter and losing their leaves.
Dig dipper:When is the first day of fall?
Temperatures trigger fall colors
A warming climate could be bad for fall foliage in years to come. As fall days grow shorter and temperatures drop, the chlorophyll in a leaf breaks down. That causes the leaf to lose its green color. The green gives way to the yellows, reds and oranges that make for dramatic autumn displays.
Achieving those peak colors is a delicate balance. Hot, dry summers can stress trees and cause their leaves to miss the fall color turn altogether, said Paul Schaberg, a research plant physiologist with the U.S. Forest Service based in Burlington, Vermont.
Typical colors for fall leaves
Fall foliage maps: Where and when leaves are predicted to change
Where will the best fall colors be?
“The best places to check out the fall foliage this season is probably going to be across the Northeast, the Great Lakes in the upper Midwest and then even the West,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist and long-range expert Paul Pastelok said.
Leaves in the Rocky Mountains, Cascade Mountains and much of the Appalachians might not be as vivid this year, Pastelok said.
Popular areas for leaf-peeping in New England, the upper Midwest and the aspen groves in Colorado and Utah could still see some vibrant colors. “The aspens should come out looking really good in late September to mid-October,” Pastelok said.
CONTRIBUTING Jim Sergent, Doyle Rice and Camille Fine
SOURCE AP; National Weather Service; Climate Prediction Center; AccuWeather and Smokymountains.com
