As temperatures drop and the days get shorter, hints of fall color are becoming visible in the Northwoods.
Just where the color emerges and how fast remain to be seen. Colleen Matula, Forest Silviculturist/DNR-Division of Forestry says leaves change colors even though colder weather hasn't arrived...
"The result of the color change is from shorter days, meaning less sunlight, where chlorophyll is fading and the pigments are revealed, such as the oranges, purples and reds..."
Matula says the intensity of the fall color season is dependent on the weather in September and October. She says to have the most brilliant and vibrant fall color display, a series of fall days filled with bright sunshine and cool, but frost-free, evenings are required. She says not all the leaves turn color at the same time...
"...The maples turn to change to the reddish colors, especially around wetland areas where they get stressed a little bit more. A good place to go right now is near wetlands or lakes to see that vibrant red color..."
Peak fall color usually occurs in far northern Wisconsin during the last week of September and first week of October. Central Wisconsin peak color generally occurs during mid-October and in southern Wisconsin during the latter half of October.
For current information on Wisconsin's current color status, contact the Department of Tourism's Fall Color Hotline at 1-800-432-TRIP or online at the Fall Color Report on the Travel Wisconsin website. We have a link here.
