Minnesota
Will Minnesota get a colorful fall? U forestry specialist thinks so
Lisa has been fascinated by the weather all her life. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology with a minor in mathematics from Valparaiso University. She also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, and has the American Meteorological Society Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation, as well as a NWA Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association.
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Minnesota is eight days into meteorological fall, and it definitely felt like it over the weekend — though it doesn’t look like it yet.
The current fall colors map shows most of Minnesota and Wisconsin haven’t seen much color change yet. Only a slight color change has occurred northwest of St. Cloud and in Minnesota’s far northwestern corner.
Diminishing daylight leads to the fall color change, but there are weather impacts as well. Working in the state’s favor are the lack of extreme heat and drought conditions over the summer.
As long as there’s a balance of warm weather days and cool nights, a colorful fall is in the cards.
Eli Sagore is a forestry specialist with the University of Minnesota.
“It’s variable from place to place, even across Minnesota, which isn’t a huge area, but I think this is probably going to be a pretty good year for fall color,” Sagore said. “We had about average weather. Trees seem pretty happy. Everything seems to be growing pretty well this year in my yard and garden and across the woods as well. So my guess is that trees are in pretty good shape for the most part, across Minnesota, and that this is going to be a pretty good growing season … My guess is that this is going to be a pretty good fall foliage season.”
What we don’t want is a hard freeze, which will stop everything in its tracks and bring an abrupt end to the fall foliage show.