Iowa’s drought conditions may impact this year’s fall colors and when trees begin to turn and drop leaves. State Climatologist Justin Glisan tells KCII News how recent weather will play a role in this year’s fall colors, “So, these cooler and wetter conditions that we’ve seen over the recent days, combined with the drought conditions and abnormal dryness that we’ve seen across the state should give us a good period of leaves changing probably in the next few weeks. And we’ve noticed in some areas, especially where it’s been drier, trees have actually been dropping their leaves, that’s a defense mechanism that they have to conserve water vapor and energy. They’ll shut the leaves off earlier and they’ll drop. So, that will also impact fall colors.”

Iowa’s drought conditions may cause trees to drop leaves sooner than normal, and in western Iowa 14.7% of the state is in extreme drought with a total of 39% in severe drought stretching to parts of Iowa and Keokuk counties.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says traditionally in the southern third of Iowa the peak time to see brightly colored leaves is the second through fourth weeks of October. The best time in the northern third of the state is the last week of September through mid-October, and the middle third’s peak falls the first through third weeks of October.