A colorful fall expected across Minnesota as summer nears an end

(FOX 9) - At Flandrau State Park in New Ulm, Lukas Hanson is enjoying the warm weather with his four legged friends Shelly and Leinie.

But with the dog days of summer coming to an end, Hanson is looking forward to a colorful fall.

"Right now, it's perfect, with the warm weather and the leaves are starting to change, so its the best of both worlds," said Hanson.

The DNR says unlike last year when most of the state experienced a drought, northern Minnesota has had lots of rain.  

With temperatures expected to fall from the 80s to the 60s over the next couple of days, the conditions will be perfect for stunning fall colors as the leaves start to change.

"Fingers crossed it's going to be a great year because most of the year we have had very adequate moisture," said Val Cervenka, the DNR's official fall color predictor.

The DNR says a stretch from southwest Minnesota to the Twin Cities has already started to turn because of drought conditions.

But they expect the rest of the state to soon follow suit, from the top down, along with the colder weather.

"We need those cool temperatures at night to trap the sugars in leaves to create the red colors. The yellows are already starting in many parts of the state and as you go north you will star to see reds," said Cervenka.

Hanson has already noticed flecks of yellow and red in the sea of green at Flandrau State Park, and he can't wait for the change in seasons to bring even more.

"I hope we have a nice long fall with mild weather, somewhat cool and that turns into a mild winter," said Hanson.

If you want to keep tabs on where the leaves are changing, click here.