Fall colors already popping in the Carolinas, thanks to cooler weather

CHARLOTTE — September just began and some trees around the Carolinas are already starting to change colors.

Some tree species start earlier than others, but our typical peak of fall colors in Charlotte is around early November.

It’s starting earlier this year because the trees changing colors has to do with the recent cooldown. About three weeks ago, we had some chilly temperatures with morning lows in the 50s. These cool mornings and warm afternoons created the perfect conditions for trees and their leaves to start to lose the chlorophyll that gives them that green color.

Severe Weather Center 9′s Joe Puma spoke with the City of Charlotte’s arborist about how the weather impacts the trees and the colors we see.

“When we have those nights that are cool ... the chlorophyll slows down,” Laurie Reid said. “We start losing the green and that green has been masking the yellows and oranges all year long. They’ve always been there but the green is more prevalent than anything.”

As we head later into the autumn months and temperatures continue to drop, we’ll continue to see the fall colors erupt in the Carolinas.

And again, it all has to do with the weather.

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