Fall has arrived in Northeast Ohio, and with it, the vibrant colors of autumn foliage that residents and visitors alike have come to expect and enjoy each year.
However, this fall’s drought may have an impact on when and where the leaves start to change. David Parrott, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources forester, said the dry weather could delay or speed up the change depending on the species of the trees.
“It's not to say that it's going to be a bad fall color season, because you're still going to see fall colors,” he said. “While it's not ideal necessarily, it's not so bad because it's going to probably elongate our fall color season.”
The changing colors will depend on how well a tree handles the stress brought on by drought conditions, according to Parrott. Some species that may be more resistant including oaks and hickories. Buckeyes, walnuts, dogwoods and sugar maples are among the species that could turn quickly.
“Normally we wouldn’t see as much change as we are right now,” Parrott said. "I think we'll continue to have leaves on the trees and see fall colors all the way up through the end of October.”
Fall foliage season typically runs from the end of September through October according to Parrott. He said models forecast a “peak color time” of Oct. 20 for Northern Ohio, but he doesn't expect that to be accurate due to the dry weather. Central and Southern Ohio are expected to reach a peak later in October.
Fall is typically a drier season in Ohio, Parrott said, so this year’s dry spell isn’t necessarily anything unique. He said conditions last year were similar.
“Every year is different,” Parrott said. “A few years ago, we actually had the opposite effect where it was very wet and very rainy throughout the fall season.”
Senior Service Hydrologist Nicholas Greenawalt of the National Weather Service said drought conditions have intensified in previous weeks across Northeast Ohio. He added the region has been designated as “abnormally dry,” which is the least severe of drought categories.
Greenawalt said it's hard to predict how long the current drought conditions will last.
“There's no strong signal one way or the other for above or below precipitation, so the chances are spread equally,” he said. “It wouldn’t take a huge amount of rainfall to quickly reverse these conditions.”
Fall foliage is a big driver of tourism in Ohio. The Ohio Department of Development says fall visitors spend more than in any other season. Parrott said when it comes to fall foliage, the state’s variety of species and outdoor access makes it a premier destination.
“We have a lot of different fall colors from having so many different types of trees,” he said. “While other states might have great fall colors, they might not have the ability to go see it without going deep in the woods or hiking. Whereas Ohio has a lot of great parks, state forests and access.”
