Fall Colors Abound

     They’re Here! We have fall colors in the Boundary Waters, on the Gunflint Trail and on the north shore of Lake Superior. It’s quite pretty up here and we invite you to come see them while they last.

From the DNR-

Q: How will the dry conditions we experienced this summer impact fall colors? What will the colors look like?

A: Fall colors vary from year to year and place to place for several reasons. Weather is most critical in determining the colors displayed each fall. Colors are best when high quality foliage – a product of a warm, moist summer – is exposed to sunny, cool fall days. Light frosts may also help, but hard freezes can ruin the display. Physiological stresses placed on trees can impact fall colors. Cool, wet summers can cause premature displays of color. A mild summer drought may actually increase the display, but severe drought usually dulls colors noticeably. In some cases, foliage may die early and turn straw-colored due to a lack of water. Because it is too dry to produce the vibrant reds, yellows and oranges, the severe summer drought will create a landscape filled with the subtler colors of tans, bronzes and auburns.

– Jana Albers, DNR forest health specialist, Grand Rapids

Boundary Waters Fall Colors