Traditionally, southern Indiana has been justly celebrated for its gloriously colorful fall foliage.
The hills and forests of Brown, Jackson and Scott counties would seem a natural destination for those who love to indulge in leaf peeping, the practice of traveling into nature to behold nature’s fall finery enjoyed throughout much of the country.
Residents and visitors can usually go leaf peeping without putting a lot of effort into it.
But not lately.
Typically, by the end of September, leaves cascade into warmer hues throughout the country. This year, moving deeper into October, many trees have yet to even pivot from their summer green shades. Southern Hoosier trees predominantly remain green, with some turning a wan yellow at best rather than the vibrant reds and oranges leaf peepers are accustomed to relishing.
This phenomenon has been going on throughout the country for several years.
Ana Erazo, of the Terre Haute Department of Urban & Community Forestry, said, “With climate change, the seasons are not as they used to be. It’s still warm; that’s why we’re seeing the late season.
Most trees are not ready to change colors because there are not that many days of low temperatures.”
Meteorologist Crystal Pettet with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis added, “Across the area, temperatures were 2.5 to 3.5 degrees above normal in September.”
“It’s been warm, obviously, so far in October. It tends to be also when the nights are warm that delays things as well,” she said.
“The nights have been where we’ve been seeing a lot of our warmth. It will be delayed when we have these warmer nights and warmer temperatures and we think it’s going to continue for a couple of more weeks with record high temperatures this week and next week. So we don’t really see a change in that coming.”
This situation has been observed throughout the United States.
In northern Maine, where peak conditions typically arrive in late September, forest rangers had reported less than 70% color change and moderate leaf drop.
Across the country in Denver, high temperatures have left “dead, dry edges of leaves” early in the season, said Michael Sundberg, a certified arborist.
“Instead of trees doing this gradual change, they get thrown these wacky weather events. They change all of a sudden, or they drop leaves early,” Sundberg said. “It’s been a few years since we’ve had a really good leaf year where you just drive around town and see really good color.”
This summer’s heatwave in the Pacific Northwest brought temperatures of over 110 degrees to Oregon, leading to a condition called “foliage scorch,” in which leaves prematurely browned, said Chris Still, a professor at the Forest Ecosystems & Society department at Oregon State University. The leaves’ pigment was degraded and they fell shortly thereafter, Still said. “That’s a really big example of color change just due to heatwave shock,” he added.
The economic impact of poor leaf peeping seasons could also be consequential. Fall tourism can bring a lot of cash into states every year.
Conservationists say that’s a good reason to focus on preserving forests and reducing burning fossil fuels, said Andy Finton, landscape conservation director and forest ecologist for The Nature Conservancy.
“If we can keep the big, important forests intact, they will provide what we’ve depended on — clean air, clean water, clean forests, as well as fall inspiration,” Finton said