Rain and Cool Temperatures Helped Turn Around Wisconsin's Fall Colors

Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 -- 8:00 AM

(By Evan Casey, Wisconsin Public Radio) Rain and cooler temperatures have helped turn around what some had worried would be a less vibrant and shorter fall foliage season across Wisconsin this year. 

According to Evan Casey with the Wisconsin Public Radio, drought conditions have plagued much of Wisconsin in recent months, with the majority of the state in a moderate or extreme drought. Those conditions can stress trees, which may cause them to lose their leaves or start color production earlier than usual.

"Normally, when you have a severe drought, it really will make those colors either muted or just turn straight from green to brown," said Sam Kuffel, a meteorologist at CBS58. But a recent uptick in rainfall and cooler temperatures during the night have changed that.

"We had a good recipe for saving the vibrant fall colors over the last four weeks, five weeks, really that helped us out. Otherwise, it was going to be a very sad fall color season," Kuffel said.

Before the start of fall, University of Wisconsin La-Crosse Assistant Professor of Biology Adam Schneider predicted a less than colorful October because of the drought and its impact on plants.

"When they're stressed like that, sometimes the plant has to go into survival mode and that often will mean dropping its leaves prematurely," Schneider said. Schneider said he saw that start to occur in September in the La Crosse area.

But he said the recent weather has "turned things around," leading to vibrant yellow, red and orange leaf colors across the state. "Here in La Crosse at least, it's really beautiful," Schneider said.

A warm and wet spring, warm and sunny fall days and cool fall nights produce the most vibrant fall colors, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Summer rain can also help promote tree health and leaf retention.

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