TOLEDO, Ohio — That fall feeling is in the air. The sun is setting much sooner every day and you can feel it getting noticeably cooler outside. Soon before you know it, we'll be in awe as we gaze upon one of Mother Nature's most generous displays, fall color.
But what is the science behind why the leaves change colors?
Here in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan we're fortunate to live in a region where you see some spectacular views of fall foliage.
When the trees stop producing chlorophyll this time of year, we see the colors that were hidden in the leaves all summer long. Mostly what you get in the fall are oranges and yellows.
Then, when we start getting sunny days and cool nights, another chemical produced in the leaf starts to give it the red colors that we see in some trees.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Fall Color Forester David Parrott said this summer's relatively dry weather has affected the seasonal foliage.
"This year in particular has been somewhat of an interesting year because some areas of the state have been drier than others," Parrott said. "But overall it has been a pretty dry year, so when trees are basically in a drought or go too dry they get stressed. And when trees get stressed, they're more likely to go dormant sooner."
The Toledo region is expected to get a decent amount of rain this week, but if rain continues to be sparse in other areas, the timing of peak foliage could change.
So what is the perfect formula for vibrant colors?
"We really want sunny days that aren't too hot but we also want cool nights and when I say cool night," Parrott said. "We want them cold, but we don't want them to get below freezing because if it gets below freezing, it's gonna freeze a tree or freeze the leaves and that'll cause those leaves to drop off."
So, with the cooler weather now here experts are predicting peak colors will arrive in the next two weeks.
If you want to follow along as our region and other parts of the state reach that peak color, check out the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Fall Color Progress Map. For Michigan, check here for fall color updates.
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