Colorado’s Drought Could Accelerate — And Dull — Fall Colors This Year

From CBS Denver:

By Meteorologist Ashton Altieri

September 2, 2020

DENVER (CBS4) – Flocking to the high country to view the spectacular fall foliage is an annual tradition for many families in Colorado. Prolonged drought could slightly change when to take your trip and the brilliance of the color you find when you arrive.

The annual fall color change is triggered by increasingly shorter duration of daylight along with cooler temperatures. These differences cause the chemical composition of leaves to change. The green, which is called chlorophyll, fades away leaving yellow and orange that is masked by the green in spring and summer to become visible before the leaves drop. The result is the splendor seen across every mountain range with aspen trees in Colorado.

Because the color change is driven primarily by daylight, the colors are guaranteed change regardless of other factors like drought. But according to Forest Entomologist Dr. Dan West at the Colorado State Forest Service, “the drought could cause colors to peak days earlier than usual and the intensity of the color may be diluted compared to years when precipitation is adequate”. “This is because dry conditions stress aspen stands”, says West.

Read more at CBS Denver