Now that it’s October, leaves are starting to change from summer green to the brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of autumn. As nights get longer and temperatures start to drop with the changing seasons, especially overnight, leaves start to change color. Weather plays a big part in this process.
Both temperature and rainfall help determine the brightness of color in the leaves, and the timing of their change. For example, in places hit hard by drought or excessive heat over the summer, trees are under stress so some of their leaves may drop before they even get a chance to change color. If you've noticed, this dry weather has caused leaves to drop quickly so far this season. So while it may be a vibrant season, it may be a short fall foliage season.