Early Fall Colors Raise Questions In Northern Minnesota
I was shocked yesterday when I was sent a picture of a red maple leaf from a friend up north. Isn't it a little early for fall colors to already be starting? It's Mid-August and we're already seeing some of the maples change. What's going on?
The National Weather Service is predicting a milder fall, so that would mean the colors would change later, right? There may be a couple of reasons for the early color change.
Maple Trees Are Already Changing In Northern Minnesota
My friend Steve in Cook, Minnesota, let us know that they already have leaves on the small maples turning red. My mother, who also lives in Northern St. Louis County, expressed her frustration that the leaves are already turning in their yard.
We haven't had the best summer in Minnesota. Sure, we've had some good days here and there, but looking back, it was an unusual summer. We experienced a drought this spring, which caused wildfires. June was a cool month, July got a little heat, and now we're already seeing some overnight lows approaching 40 degrees.
Wildfire Smoke Could Be To Blame
Another persistent issue this summer has been the wildfire smoke drifting down from the wildfires in Canada. We've spent a good chunk of the summer under some sort of air quality alert.
My parents live off-grid with a solar system, and they've had a hard time charging their batteries this year because of the hazy conditions.
This could also be causing premature color changes in leaves. Less sun through the wildfire smoke can trigger the tree to think it's fall.