WEST MICHIGAN — Fall colors have been in full swing the last week here in West Michigan! Lots of yellows, oranges, and reds in parks this weekend as peak is expected this last week of October. Some steady winds have helped brush a lot of leaves off trees as well. Here's a look at some gorgeous foliage in Rockford!
In comparison to years past, especially 2021, this year's color change has been spectacular. Colors have been brighter, lasted longer and peaked later than last year. Fall foliage is affected by temperatures and moisture in the ground, not only during the fall but also the summer months.
Yellow, Orange, and Red are all influenced by the conditions. Yellow comes from xanthophyll and orange pigments come from the carotenoids. These begin to show as chlorophyll, which reflects the green pigments during the summer, slows production as nights get longer and temperatures drop gradually. A sharp drop in temperatures would make the color transition from green to yellow and/or orange quicker and sometimes look immediately brown. Red, which is shown by the chemical anthocyanin, requires adequate sunlight with the chillier days. This is also a chemical developed as the season changes, not hidden in the chlorophyll production like yellow and orange. This is why yellow and orange typically show first and why red is less common in the trees.
Summer drought conditions put stress on trees. Thankfully, this summer was fairly rainy in the second half of August into September. Even with the 7-week dry spell in June and July, we ended the summer season just below normal, with August alone seeing nearly 5 inches of rain. Compare this to August 2021, which recorded just over 2 inches of rain in Grand Rapids. The late summer rainfall soaks into the ground and is the foundation of leaves changing. If the ground is too dry, leaves will go from green to brown much quicker than if saturated. Due to the process of trees producing chlorophyll.
As for temperatures, we have seen a mixed back of chilly nights and warmer afternoons this fall. The good news is, the variable temperatures help make the colors vibrant! Mean temperatures in August and September were within 1 degree or normal, and a normal transition to fall means the most ideal conditions to see a colorful West Michigan!
The well-above-normal rainfall for October should help keep leaves on trees a touch longer than normal, but expect trees to start shedding as we head toward Halloween and the first week of November!
