This fall's autumn colors in the Notheast.

[R.P.McMurphy]

This weekend I’m up in Eastern New York. Typically the time around Columbus Day is the height of autumn colors. Yet, this weekend things look pretty bland. Trees seem to be turning a bit yellow/brown then just dropping their leaves.

This is a GQ question.

• Is what I think I’m seeing unique to this area? Are there other parts of the Northeast that have their usual glorious colors? Maine, eastern Mass., the Adirondacks, western NY?

• Why are the colors more striking some years that others? What are the climate factors?

• Does Hurricane Irene have a lot to do with this? There has been a lot of late season moisture in the area.

Sorry for the misspelling in the title. Northeast, not Notheast. Mods please correct.

[pabstist]

Yeah, here in southeast Vermont the colors suck. I’ve heard there is a fungus to blame, from the wet weather. Leaves just turn brown and fall off within a day. We haven’t even had a frost yet.
But at least it’s 20 degrees warmer than usual!

[R.P.McMurphy]

@pabstist

Yeah, here in southeast Vermont the colors suck. I’ve heard there is a fungus to blame, from the wet weather. Leaves just turn brown and fall off within a day. We haven’t even had a frost yet.
But at least it’s 20 degrees warmer than usual!

That’s exactly my assessment. So we are in the same area that got the furor of Irene. It that the determining factor? I haven’t heard about the fungus.

[rowrrbazzle]

The length of the day is the primary trigger. Other factors http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/FallFoliage/ScienceFallColor.html

Temperature, sunlight, and soil moisture greatly influence the quality of the fall foliage display. Abundant sunlight and low temperatures after the time the abscission layer forms cause the chlorophyll to be destroyed more rapidly. Cool temperatures, particularly at night, combined with abundant sunlight, promote the formation of more anthocyanins. Freezing conditions destroy the machinery responsible for manufacturing anthocyanins, so early frost means an early end to colorful foliage. Drought stress during the growing season can sometimes trigger the early formation of the abscission layer, and leaves may drop before they have a chance to develop fall coloration. A growing season with ample moisture that is followed by a rather dry, cool, sunny autumn that is marked by warm days and cool but frostless nights provides the best weather conditions for development of the brightest fall colors. Lack of wind and rain in the autumn prolongs the display; wind or heavy rain may cause the leaves to be lost before they develop their full color potential.

The character of autumn color is different in different parts of the world. In New England and the northeast sections of Asia, a few species dominate the deciduous forests. The display there tends to be short but intense because the change is rapid and rather uniform. In the southern Appalachians, the change is often gradual and the fall foliage season may last for more than a month because of the greater diversity of plant species found in the forest there. Mixed forests that have both evergreen conifers such as spruce and deciduous trees such as aspen or larch are found in the far north or at high elevations. Here, the dominant color is yellow and the change is rapid, with trees often going from green through brilliant yellow to bare over a period of two weeks.

On individual trees, I’ve noticed that the south side develops colors sooner than the north, presumably from the heat of the sun.

FYI: a map of current Midwest color reports and another summary of conditions for optimal fall colors. http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/assets_c/2011/10/FEATURE100920112.html

[VernWinterbottom]

Especially right by the shore, leaves have been brown or gone completely since the day after Tropical Storm Irene. Those that remained have been turning brown and dropping with little or no color. The salt spray can blow a considerable distance inland, causing browning quite far from the coast.

I’m in southeastern, MA, on the coast. We haven’t had a fall like this since Hurricane Bob in 1991.

[Finagle]

I’m north of Boston, an area fairly unaffected by Irene (it got rainy and windy, yawn). And the color here is also very muted. Usually by now we have some striking early color, but it’s the same story as elsewhere, leaves are just turning brown and immediately falling off the trees.