Global Weather & Climate Center
  • Home
  • About
    • GWCC Is
    • Where in the World is GWCC?
    • Contact Us
  • Global Regions
    • Africa
    • Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
    • Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean
    • Central and South America
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Indian Ocean and Asia
    • Polar Regions
    • South Pacific Ocean and Australia
    • Western Pacific Ocean
  • Weather
    • Applied Meteorology >
      • Air Quality
      • Aviation
      • Droughts
      • Fire Weather
      • Flooding
      • Geosciences
      • Global Environmental Topics
      • Weather Observations
    • Weather Education
    • Weather History
    • Weather Research
    • Weather Safety and Preparedness
    • Severe Weather
    • Social Sciences
    • Space Weather
    • Tropical Cyclones
    • Weather and Health
    • Winter Weather
  • Climate
  • GWCC Global Imagery Archive
  • GWCC Window to the World
    • GOES-16 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • GOES-16 ABI Channel Description and Examples
    • GOES-16 ABI Satellite Products
    • GOES-17 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Himawari-8 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Meteosat-11 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
  • Kids Corner
    • Kindergarten to 5th Grade
    • 6th to 12th grade
    • Fun Facts & Weather Trivia
    • GWCC Weather Radar Education
    • GWCC Wheel of Science

Weather Education

How Weather Affects Fall Leaf Colors (Credit: Climate Central)

9/30/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Photo taken in the end of November 2015 on top of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina at the end of peak "leaf season". While some leaves are still in their vibrant fall colors stage, many have already fallen at this point in the year in this area.

As September comes to an end and we enter October, many people are excited about the transition into fall and all of the joys that come with this season and its cooler weather.  Pumpkin flavored everything has already made its appearance, stores are filled with Halloween-related decorations and costumes, and many people are already longing for the weather to cool down enough for their cozy fall sweaters.  One other major fall highlight that many are looking forward to? The spectacular colors brought on by the leaves changing.  So why do leaves change colors in the fall and how might variations in the weather alter how they change?
 
The coloring in leaves is determined by the amount of chlorophyll within the leaf.  Chlorophyll is used by the plant to turn the sun’s rays into energy and is what gives leaves their green color.  In the fall, leaves produce less chlorophyll as the days get shorter and cooler, causing them to lose that green color and change into the bright orange, red, and yellow leaves that paint fall landscapes.  Weather can be used to estimate when the peak “leaf season” will be in various areas since temperatures and rainfall amounts can play a role in when leaves turn and how quickly they will fall from the trees.  Drought can cause leaves to turn more quickly and appear less vibrant. On the other hand, too much rain in the summer can also bring about the changing in colors more quickly as excessive rainfall can be a stressor to the trees. Moderately warmer temperatures can cause a delay in the changing colors, however, excessively warm temperatures could cause the leaves to change colors rapidly and fall sooner, causing the beautiful fall colors to disappear more quickly.  An overall increase in temperatures could also cause more variability in when the leaves change, making it harder to predict when they will reach their peak colors. 

To learn more about various weather education topics, click here! 
©2019 Meteorologist Stephanie Edwards
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016


    RSS Feed

© 2022, Global Weather and Climate Center
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
​Webmaster - Stephen Piechowski
  • Home
  • About
    • GWCC Is
    • Where in the World is GWCC?
    • Contact Us
  • Global Regions
    • Africa
    • Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
    • Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean
    • Central and South America
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Indian Ocean and Asia
    • Polar Regions
    • South Pacific Ocean and Australia
    • Western Pacific Ocean
  • Weather
    • Applied Meteorology >
      • Air Quality
      • Aviation
      • Droughts
      • Fire Weather
      • Flooding
      • Geosciences
      • Global Environmental Topics
      • Weather Observations
    • Weather Education
    • Weather History
    • Weather Research
    • Weather Safety and Preparedness
    • Severe Weather
    • Social Sciences
    • Space Weather
    • Tropical Cyclones
    • Weather and Health
    • Winter Weather
  • Climate
  • GWCC Global Imagery Archive
  • GWCC Window to the World
    • GOES-16 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • GOES-16 ABI Channel Description and Examples
    • GOES-16 ABI Satellite Products
    • GOES-17 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Himawari-8 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
    • Meteosat-11 Live Satellite Imagery Portal
  • Kids Corner
    • Kindergarten to 5th Grade
    • 6th to 12th grade
    • Fun Facts & Weather Trivia
    • GWCC Weather Radar Education
    • GWCC Wheel of Science