Missourians can prepare to see fall colors early this year because of the dry conditions toward the end of summer.
That's according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, which predicts that leaves will start changing color by mid-September. This differs from other years, when the process could begin in late September or early October.
Russell Hinnah is the forest programs supervisor at MDC and said moisture is an important factor in determining when leaves begin to fall.
Dry conditions reduce a tree's ability to create chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for a tree's summer green leaves. A drought signals to a tree that colder, dryer weather is coming, and that it should stop production of chlorophyll, revealing its other multi-colored pigments.
The U.S. Drought Monitor reported in late August that nearly 61% of Missouri was categorized as "abnormally dry."
"Leaves change because days shorten, but they also need moisture in that timeframe, too," Hinnah said. "If they're not receiving the moisture during the end – the spring or end of summer – it can change it. We did have good moisture to begin the season, but in the last month or so, it's been drier."
These predictions from the MDC on the timing of fall colors help towns preparing for "leaf peepers," or tourists who come to see fall foliage.
Tammy Bruckerhoff is the tourism director for Hermann. She said the dry end to the summer season makes it more difficult to tell tourists when they will see the most vibrant leaves.
"It just totally depends on the rainfall and the temperature throughout the spring, summer and fall," Bruckerhoff said. "It's just a real hard guess to figure out what Mother Nature is going to bring us."
Like other communities in Missouri surrounded by natural landscapes, Hermann relies on outdoor tourism for a large part of its economy. But Bruckerhoff said that even with shifting times for peak viewing, local businesses are already anticipating fall-time crowds.
The MDC offers updates on the status of the changing leaves each week on their website.
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