Normally the fall coloring on the leaves is at its best in our area in late October.
Meteorologist Hannah Strong explains how leaves get their colors in autumn
The leaves changing color is a natural response to the leaf no longer producing chlorophyll. When leaves are green during the summer, the leaf is producing chlorophyll. It stops when exposed to less sunlight as the days get shorter and the season changes to fall. This causes the green color to fade away and the natural color of the leaf (red, brown, yellow, orange, etc.) to come through. The color they become is determined by the type of tree.
Temperature and rainfall also affect how bright the colors of the leaves will be and when they change. If the morning or afternoon temperatures are unseasonably hot or cold, the vibrancy and timing of the transition will change. If we go through prolonged dry or unusually rainy stretches in the fall, that will also affect the brightness of the colors.
DISCUSSION IDEAS:
What colors have you seen the leaves change in the fall?
What do you think causes the leaves to fall off the trees in fall and winter?
Why do you think temperature and rainfall have so much to do with how bright the colors will be and when they peak?
