Okay don't laugh

winnitru · 08-19-2010, 10:02 PM

I'm the first to admit I don't get the change of season thing. I've lived in South Florida since I was 13, we have tourist season and hurricane season... so bear (bare?) with me here.

Before I left the lake 2 weeks ago, I noticed trees turning to fall colors. Especially noticable were the ones across from the Catholic Church in Alton.
But this was early August! What's up with that? This was our 10th summer here, and never have I left with fall colors. What will it be like when I come back in October? Will I have missed all the excitement?

What are the weather conditions that facilitate this early color? What leads to such localized changes? How often is this seen?

Thanks to any who may reply

RI Swamp Yankee · 08-19-2010, 10:40 PM

I noticed a few trees on the North end of the lake like that a week ago too. I suspect the lack of rain in August and some very cool nights may be the cause but that is just a guess.

tis · 08-20-2010, 06:11 AM

Kevin Mannix on Channel 6 said this morning that it was due to the dry warm summer. The older and weak trees get red under these conditions he said.

hazelnut · 08-20-2010, 07:14 AM

There was a report on TV that the Apple crop is in about two weeks early due to these conditions.

hilltopper · 08-20-2010, 07:25 AM

We seriously need a good, long, soaking rain here in the Lakes Region. Just not on a weekend...

SIKSUKR · 08-20-2010, 12:17 PM

Definately some early leave change. I noticed quite a few trees that only had sporadic leaves changing. I think this summers weather has stressed the trees some and they have shut down production to small sections.

KBoater · 08-20-2010, 12:57 PM

The swamp/marsh across from the church is always one of the first places to change. It looks like it is quite dry this year. The normal change time for that area is early Sept.

VitaBene · 08-20-2010, 08:23 PM

The trees that you see turning early this year are due to drought stress for the most part. Our birch trees along our stone walls are really showing it this year- a lot of leaf drop. WE NEED RAIN (and I almost hate to say it)

CanisLupusArctos · 08-21-2010, 04:50 PM

I noticed the same thing when I was atop Cannon Mountain in late July. The foliage up there (4000 feet) was looking very "pre-fall." We're talking scrub trees, but they do have an annual color scheme to them, nothing like in the valleys, but the color scheme was definitely showing in late July.

This summer's weather at the Mount Washington summit has brought notable cold extremes -- accumulating snow in early July, and rime ice (freezing fog) just a couple of weeks ago. A chill at altitude is usually best shown (at our level) by the amount of hail we have in any given summer. To have hail from a thunderstorm, you have to have a low enough freezing level or it'll come down as cold raindrops. In a typical "hot summer" in New England, hail is sometimes not possible in a severe thunderstorm, due to freezing level being too high. The thunderstorm then takes its 'severe' criteria by having damaging wind (damaging wind and/or hail are what define a severe thunderstorm.)

This summer I have also noticed a great number of days with very low humidity and west (rather than south) air flow. On a couple of occasions this summer, the dewpoint fell to the upper 30s (F). That kind of air is more typical of fall.

Dry air brings chilly nights with warm days, as one might find in a desert (water content in the air slows the rate of heat loss at night.) Such a dry-air temperature scheme tells the trees it's fall. It is also true that they turn color when stressed. A few years ago one of my maples got damaged in a storm, and it was an early color-changer until it healed.

08-19-2010, 10:02 PM	#1
winnitru Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: SW FL and Wingate Cove Posts: 53 Thanks: 59 Thanked 14 Times in 10 Posts	Okay don't laugh I'm the first to admit I don't get the change of season thing. I've lived in South Florida since I was 13, we have tourist season and hurricane season... so bear (bare?) with me here. Before I left the lake 2 weeks ago, I noticed trees turning to fall colors. Especially noticable were the ones across from the Catholic Church in Alton. But this was early August! What's up with that? This was our 10th summer here, and never have I left with fall colors. What will it be like when I come back in October? Will I have missed all the excitement? What are the weather conditions that facilitate this early color? What leads to such localized changes? How often is this seen? Thanks to any who may reply

08-19-2010, 10:40 PM	#2
RI Swamp Yankee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: North Kingstown RI Posts: 688 Thanks: 143 Thanked 83 Times in 55 Posts	I noticed a few trees on the North end of the lake like that a week ago too. I suspect the lack of rain in August and some very cool nights may be the cause but that is just a guess. __________________ Gene ~ aka "another RI Swamp Yankee"

08-20-2010, 12:17 PM	#6
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Definately some early leave change. I noticed quite a few trees that only had sporadic leaves changing. I think this summers weather has stressed the trees some and they have shut down production to small sections. __________________ SIKSUKR

08-20-2010, 12:57 PM	#7
KBoater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Wolfeboro Posts: 521 Thanks: 10 Thanked 29 Times in 15 Posts	swamp/marsh The swamp/marsh across from the church is always one of the first places to change. It looks like it is quite dry this year. The normal change time for that area is early Sept. __________________ Home Permanently in NH

08-20-2010, 08:23 PM	#8
VitaBene Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 3,575 Thanks: 1,609 Thanked 1,632 Times in 839 Posts	Drought stress The trees that you see turning early this year are due to drought stress for the most part. Our birch trees along our stone walls are really showing it this year- a lot of leaf drop. WE NEED RAIN (and I almost hate to say it)

08-20-2010, 06:11 AM	#3
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,700 Thanks: 751 Thanked 1,454 Times in 1,011 Posts	Kevin Mannix on Channel 6 said this morning that it was due to the dry warm summer. The older and weak trees get red under these conditions he said.

08-20-2010, 07:14 AM	#4
hazelnut Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,348 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 508 Thanked 462 Times in 162 Posts	There was a report on TV that the Apple crop is in about two weeks early due to these conditions.

08-20-2010, 07:25 AM	#5
hilltopper Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Meredith Posts: 724 Thanks: 25 Thanked 107 Times in 68 Posts	We seriously need a good, long, soaking rain here in the Lakes Region. Just not on a weekend...

08-21-2010, 04:50 PM	#9
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	I noticed the same thing when I was atop Cannon Mountain in late July. The foliage up there (4000 feet) was looking very "pre-fall." We're talking scrub trees, but they do have an annual color scheme to them, nothing like in the valleys, but the color scheme was definitely showing in late July. This summer's weather at the Mount Washington summit has brought notable cold extremes -- accumulating snow in early July, and rime ice (freezing fog) just a couple of weeks ago. A chill at altitude is usually best shown (at our level) by the amount of hail we have in any given summer. To have hail from a thunderstorm, you have to have a low enough freezing level or it'll come down as cold raindrops. In a typical "hot summer" in New England, hail is sometimes not possible in a severe thunderstorm, due to freezing level being too high. The thunderstorm then takes its 'severe' criteria by having damaging wind (damaging wind and/or hail are what define a severe thunderstorm.) This summer I have also noticed a great number of days with very low humidity and west (rather than south) air flow. On a couple of occasions this summer, the dewpoint fell to the upper 30s (F). That kind of air is more typical of fall. Dry air brings chilly nights with warm days, as one might find in a desert (water content in the air slows the rate of heat loss at night.) Such a dry-air temperature scheme tells the trees it's fall. It is also true that they turn color when stressed. A few years ago one of my maples got damaged in a storm, and it was an early color-changer until it healed.