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MN DNR on what to expect for 2024 fall colors
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides an update on what to expect for this year's fall colors.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota DNR is shared an update on what this year's fall colors will look like after a wet summer.
When will fall colors peak?
READ MORE: Minnesota fall colors: Will they be more vibrant this year?
The DNR says that fall colors peak in mid- or late September and persist until mid-October in Minnesota. Peak fall color usually persists for about two weeks in a location.
While there are many factors that trigger trees to begin to change colors, the ultimate trigger is the fading daylight hours. As long as the sun is up, trees are able to produce chlorophyll, which is how they get energy from the sun. But as daylight gets shorter, they will produce incrementally less. This process eventually gets short enough, combined with overall cooler and drier conditions, that the tree realizes fall is here and begins to go dormant for the winter.
We see this transition to dormancy as leaves change colors and chlorophyll production ceases for the year.
It often begins in northern Minnesota not long after Labor Day and concludes in southern Minnesota around Halloween.
Will the colors be more vibrant?
Weather plays a big role in the timing and brilliance of the fall colors, including day length, temperatures and rainfall.
The wetter summer is overall better for the trees, the DNR said, but the moisture has made fungal leaf diseases more apparent in certain tree species, which could hinder the overall brilliance of the fall colors.
Temperature, wind, precipitation and timing of hard freezes can also impact the fall colors peak and how long they last. Hard freezes can cause a tree to drop its leaves earlier.
The DNR says these weather changes can really only be predicted a week or two in advance, making it difficult to forecast peak fall colors.
A warmer than average September can shorten the amount of time fall colors are peaking, and can delay when fall colors do peak.
How to track fall colors in Minnesota
The DNR has a Fall Color Finder tool that can help the public track fall colors across the state.
It includes a slider to preview what the fall colors will possibly look like at future dates.
Minnesota fall colors: Will they be more vibrant this year?
Here's what to expect for fall colors in Minnesota this year.