Fall Colors Early In Colorado This Year

Every fall, "leaf peepers" flock to Colorado's mountains to see iconic stands of aspen trees turn red, orange, and gold. However, if peepers rely on their calendars to plan this year's pilgrimage they are going to miss out. Local news outlets across the state are reporting trees that seem to be changing several weeks ahead of schedule.

That's likely due to drought conditions across more than 70 percent of the state, according to interviews by 9News Denver with Dan West of the Colorado State Forest Service, and Dr. Danica Lombardozzi, a plant ecophysiologist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Trees gather energy through their green leaves with photosynthesis, but if the cost to maintain those healthy leaves outweighs the energy they are bringing in, trees drop 'em. Drought stresses trees, meaning they require more energy than usual to simply stay alive.

Leaf change is a response to the longer nights of fall rather than colder weather - that's why a shift in the aspens' calendar is so significant. The temperatures actually affect the colors the leaves turn, so if you do make it to the mountains soon, the change in timeline doesn't necessarily mean that colors won't be as brilliant.

Some scientists have broader concerns about long-term aspen health. As Bill Bowman, the director of the University of Colorado's Mountain Research Station, told the Daily Camera's Charlie Brennan, "There is concern about aspen health across the state, anyway. There has been a lot of death of aspen stands in the southwest over the last decade. That was a response to dry conditions, to drought, and unfortunately, that's something that's going to continue as well, with climate change."

Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park are some of the most popular leaf-peeping venues, but a quick drive up Boulder Canyon to Nederland and the Peak to Peak highway can provide equally thrilling displays for those seeking a more compact adventure.

Read more from the Daily Camera and 9News.

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