Weather Tidbits: Ideal Conditions For Vibrant Fall Color

This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the ideal weather conditions for the most vibrant fall colors. The prerequisite weather conditions can be traced as far back as spring. Ideally, spring should be warm and fairly wet. This is so the trees can gain a healthy supply of water going into the summer. During summer, the season should not be too dry or too wet. A summer drought can stress the trees. This can cause premature leaf drop during fall before the vibrancy of the color change reaches its full potential. If the summer is too wet, the fall color could be delayed longer than normal as well as cause the colors to become muted. Additionally, if fall colors are delayed, this can make leaves more susceptible to a late-season freeze. A freeze could promote early leaf drop. During fall, you want warm sunny days and cool but not freezing nights. The sunny days promote ample sugar development in the leaves, while the cool nights prevent the sugars from moving out of the leaves. These conditions help to produce the most vibrant fall color.