The calendar may say August 31st, but Mother Nature has certainly been thinking fall.
Some leaves across the area have already begun to show signs of fall, with shades of yellow and even light orange showing up near the tops. This is well before normal, as we usually don't begin to notice any color change until the end of the second week in September. In a normal year, the best color typically occurs after October 12th, and lasts til nearly Halloween. This year, though, forecasts suggest foliage will be nearing peak by the end of September, with peak color arriving around October 1st.
"The moisture throughout the summer months and the the cooler evenings along with the shorter daylight hours and we're coming into the longer night and that is affecting the leaves and they are starting to change," explained Johnny Appleseed Metro Parks Chief Ranger, Richard Kimmel. "Yeah, it is a little earlier, usually the end of September, beginning of October with peak time being in mid-October," added Kimmel.
Leaves are expected to be considered past peak by roughly October 15th, which is usually when the best color arrives across the northern third of Ohio.
