Fall Foliage

October 8, 2012

Fall foliage is already in full swing across the Northeastern United States, while signs of change are beginning to show up in the Midwest. The typical peak for Fall colors occurs in October, however some areas to the west won’t see their peak until early November.

Normal Time for Peak Foliage Color

Temperature and soil moisture play a large role in the vibrancy of fall colors. Warm sunny days followed by cool nights bring the most colorful leaves. These conditions allow the leaves to slowly become dormant, bringing out the most colorful foliage. The amount of soil moisture also affects the onset and amount of color seen, with adequate soil moisture providing optimum color.

What can we expect for color this year?

Recent warm days and cool nights have allowed some decent colors to appear in northwestern Missouri. However, with the lack of soil moisture caused by this summer’s drought we can expect “leaf peaking” to be less intense this fall.

Track Fall Foliage in Missouri – Missouri Department of Conservation

Read about Fall Colors in Nebraska – Nebraska Games & Parks Commission

Weekly Updates on Foliage in Iowa – Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Dramatic Change!

October 5, 2012

Earlier this week the Central Plains were basking in mild temperatures for early October with highs in the upper 70s to lower 90s! Now, just one or two days later we have areas of snow and temperatures struggling to reach 50 degrees. This dramatic change was thanks to a strong cold front that moved across the Central Plains and even into the southern United States. Take a look below to see just how far those temperatures fell with a comparison of highs on Wednesday or Thursday to the afternoon on Friday.

The First Freeze of Fall 2012

September 21, 2012

While it won’t happen tonight, freezing temperature are inevitable. Fall may just be starting, so patchy frost is not far behind, and eventually a widespread freeze to plants will occur. Temperatures will often cool faster in low-lying areas and river valleys, where the denser cold air can settle into these lower terrains. You will also see the first frost and freeze come to rural areas or outskirts of urban areas before the densely populated urban areas. When can you expect that mercury to drop to 32 degrees?

Average Date of First Fall Freeze

Follow along when areas see their first freeze with this map courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center. The map will update each morning to show the progression of freezing temperatures.

Date of First Fall Freeze of 2012

Check back to the Weather or Not Blog to see when freezing invades from Canada!