Blame the weird weather for the #FallFail
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| Fall foliage in Seven Corners on Nov. 1, 2018. |
October has come and gone and we still haven’t seen the
blaze of color in our trees that make the fall landscape in Northern Virginia so dramatic.
Don’t hold your breath. While a few trees have turned yellow, “fall color is not going to be great this year,” says Jim McGlone, urban
forest conservationist at the Virginia Department of Forestry. “We won’t have the reds
and oranges that we normally get.”
forest conservationist at the Virginia Department of Forestry. “We won’t have the reds
and oranges that we normally get.”
McGlone blames the fall fail on the “weird weather” we’ve
been having. “One of the things that triggers color changes in leaves is the
difference in temperature between day and night.” Instead of cooling off at
night, it’s been staying warm due to the large number of overcast and rainy
days.
“The cloud cover keeps the temperatures up overnight,” he says. “Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. It traps heat in
the same way a blanket does.” As a result, trees don’t have enough energy to
produce brilliant red and orange leaves.
the same way a blanket does.” As a result, trees don’t have enough energy to
produce brilliant red and orange leaves.
“This is pretty much what fall in England is like, where it’s
dreary and overcast,” he says. “The leaves go from green to brown, then fall
off. Every now and then we get weather that doesn’t cooperate.”
dreary and overcast,” he says. “The leaves go from green to brown, then fall
off. Every now and then we get weather that doesn’t cooperate.”
One response to “Blame the weird weather for the #FallFail”
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Not true. While I trust Jim McGlone's expertise in the urban forestry world, he must visit my yard. In the past week, it has become a spectacular field of colors — yellow, gold, orange, red, burgundy, and lime greens.
My absolute, most favorite time of year, is Autumn. The angle of the sun is stunning. The turning of the leaves is amazing. The cool, crisp air is refreshing.
Work outside. Enjoy nature. Burn a fire. Walk the neighborhood. It can't get any better than this.