Fall is almost here! Here's how weather could impact leaf color in Greater Columbus

While it may still feel like summertime in Greater Columbus as we continue to experience 80-degree weather this week, fall is on its way.

The fall equinox arrives Thursday at 9:04 p.m., kicking off the first day of the season, and with it comes the promise of cooler temperatures and changing colors.

David Parrott, the fall color forester for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said colors in Greater Columbus usually reach their peak at the end of October, but that depends on the weather leading up to then.

"The weather, like precipitation and temperature, can all have an impact on how the fall colors turn out at the end of the year," Parrott said.

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Dry, sunny days and cool nights ideal for fall colors

Parrott said the color changes in leaves are due to shorter days and lower temperatures during the fall season. The most ideal weather conditions are dry, sunny days and cool, crisp nights.

When trees sense that winter is approaching, they start pulling resources from the leaves back to the trees themselves. Chlorophyll –– which gives plants their green color –– breaks down, and the yellow to orange pigments on the leaves become visible.

Red color in leaves comes from another type of chemical called anthocyanin, which the trees produce when there are those sunny days and cold nights.

When will fall begin and what will the weather be like?

The forecast in the Columbus area calls for it to stay mostly dry this week for the arrival of fall Thursday, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s, according to the National Weather Service.

And it looks like temperatures could stay mild until the end of the year, according to the NWS' three-month seasonal outlook. As of Sept. 15, temperatures in Ohio for October, November and December were predicted to be between 40-50% above average. Precipitation has an equal chance of being above normal or below normal.

Last year shows what can happen when the weather doesn't quite cooperate.

"Last year, we had a lot of areas where it stayed wet and warm later into the year, which caused the leaves to stay green longer to where there were some areas of the state that didn't have as good of a fall color showing," Parrott said.

While this summer was slightly above average in temperature and rainfall, Parrott is hopeful the trees will have vibrant colors for the fall.

Drought can impact fall color, too

While dry conditions help leaves change color on time, fall foliage fans don't want it to be too dry at this time of year, Parrott said.

"So if you have a drought where the leaves essentially dry out, they're not going to go through that fall color because the leaves are going to dry out and fall off the tree," he said.

A drought could also cause trees to become stressed and have a premature leaf change and drop, Parrott said.

In much of the U.S., drought conditions are forecast to persist throughout the fall months, with heat waves also prompting leaves to fall before autumn even arrives, reported USA Today.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of the western U.S. and parts of the East Coast may see drought conditions persist until at least Nov. 30. In Ohio, the eastern and southern parts of the state were experiencing severe to moderate droughts as of Sept. 10. However, Greater Columbus is showing no signs of a drought forming, according to the Drought Monitor.

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Where are the best places in Ohio to see fall color?

If the weather stays ideal for the first part of fall, Parrott said leaves should start changing in the north first, followed by the rest of the state. Peak time is estimated to be Oct. 17-24 for northern Ohio. In central Ohio, it should be around Oct. 24, and in southern Ohio it should be Oct. 24-31.

Although that's what the prediction models are saying, Parrott said "the weather can impact that and most likely move those dates back."

ODNR has a section on its website dedicated to fall colors where people can check out the progress of color change across the state.

"We're hoping this year is going to be a spectacular year," Parrott said. "The summer has been agreeable for fall colors, so if this year's weather holds the same trends, I'm hoping it's going to be a good year."

mwalker@dispatch.com

@micah_walker701

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Fall color: When will trees be at peak color in Greater Columbus?