But why is the color so much more vivid? Of course, there’s a scientific answer to it and I’ve got it for you.
It comes down to moisture and temperature.
MOISTURE
The amount of rain greatly influences how vibrant our fall color turns out each year. But it’s not the rain trend we are seeing currently but instead the rain trends of the summer. After wet summers, trees are at their healthiest and it gives leaves a better setup for good fall color. We indeed saw a wet summer. We had 7.91″ of rain in August and it was the 3rd wettest on record for Cincinnati! Even July had above average precipitation.
TEMPERATURE
The other critical element for good fall color is temperature. When we get clear, warm afternoons followed by chilly nights, the color amplifies in our leaves. Our recent dry spell and low levels of humidity have set the stages for mild, sunny afternoons and colder nights. This past weekend was a perfect example of that.
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