Ready for fall leaves? Iowa's drought may bring earlier changes and brighter colors

Everyone knows an Iowa fall can't begin without falling leaves and autumn colors. This year, those colors might come a little sooner than usual.

Here's what to know about the leaves this fall season.

When do leaves begin to change colors in Iowa?

In general, fall color changes happen between the middle of September and the middle of October, according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Peak fall colors will, on average, first occur in northeast Iowa during the weekend closest to Oct. 10, according to Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Peak fall colors will typically occur progressively later the farther south you get into Iowa.

The timing and intensity of fall colors vary throughout the state each year due to things like temperature, moisture, rain, wind, snow and sunlight.

"Colorful displays are often cut short by heavy winds, rainfall, and freezing temperatures, which can actually kill leaf tissue and cause the leaves to fall early," according to ISU Extension and Outreach.

Will Iowa's drought bring better or worse fall colors?

Much of Iowa is in drought, for the fourth year in a row, which can cause stress to trees and leaves.

"I do expect the drought to impact our fall color this year, and not in a positive way unfortunately," said Iowa State Forester Jeff Goerndt.

The best fall colors occur when there's plenty of moisture during growing season, the summer, followed by a cool and sunny fall. However, persistent drought tends to cause earlier color changes, according to Goerndt.

When is the best time to see fall colors?

Goerndt says he expects fall colors to be a week or so earlier than usual in central and most of Iowa. He also expects them to be brighter than a typical year, one positive of the drier weather.

"In areas where we have extreme drought, like northeast Iowa, we are already seeing some early color change and I expect this to continue into an earlier and shorter fall color season," Goerndt said. The best times in central Iowa to see fall color will most likely be early to mid-October.

Goerndt says state parks and natural areas around the Des Moines River and the reservoirs will be great places to go enjoy the fall leaves.

What colors do leaves turn?

Here's a look at some of the colors you'll be able to spot across Iowa, according to Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

• Walnut: Turn yellow in the fall, one of the first leaves to turn color and drop and one of the last leaves to grow in the spring.

• Red oak: "Brilliant" red leaves in the fall, "the color is not as intense as that of some hard maples."

• White oak: "Subdued" red color, turn brown and often stay on tree until new leaves begin to grow in the spring.

• Bur oak: Yellow colors are prominent in bur oaks. Leaves remain on the tree and turn brown before falling.

• Hard maple: "Brilliant" red hues. Pigmentation of some leaves breaks down before leaves fall off trees.

• Soft maple: Leaves turn yellow and fall off before turning brown.

• Sumac: "Very bright red" small tree confined to openings and edges.

• Virginia creeper: Bright red.

• Hickory: leaves turn yellow and then brown before falling.

• Ash: Green ash leaves turn yellow. White ash leaves have some have purple hues, leave fall after walnut, but earlier than oaks and maples.

• Elms: Leaves turn several shades of yellow. Some leaves turn yellow before falling, others fall while still yellow.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her atvreynarodriguez@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter@VictoriaReynaR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Fall colors and changing leaves come to Iowa sooner than expected