Leaves changing in August? (hot, average, temperature, days)

[kwflconch]

I was visting Tampa last week and I noticed that some of the maple trees there were already turning orange and brown, and they weren't falling off of the trees either, and I though it was kind of strange how they were changing so soon, especially in August. I also noticed that the temperature doesn't seem as hot as it did last year, the high for Tampa this week is 84, which is cool for this time of the year, when the average high is 90.

[dxiweodwo]

that's strange.....I wouldn't expect fall colors in Tampa until at least mid-December

same thing hapened in North-GA last year, I noticed leaves changing in late August, but it was because of extremely hot and dry conditions

[§AB]

Here we were getting Autumn colours and leaves falling off trees in February, because it was so damn cold.

[Jammie]

Well, our trees weren't even filled out yet until mid June because our spring was so cold. I hope we have an extended summer because in about another 4 or 5 weeks, we'll be looking at autumn if it's an average year. Three months of summer just isn't long enough for me.

[§AB]

^^ in Melbourne, REAL summer lasts only 2 months at best. The remaining period is just a transition (meaning 16-22C days 80% of the time and 10C nights). Even the 2 months of high summer are regulary punctuated by 20-25C days and below 15C nights. Autumn starts in mid March typically for us. By May, the trees are stripped bare.

ideally, I'd like about a month of Kuwait summer, and a month of winter with cold nights (~5C) so I can rug up and enjoy a nice hot coffee ... with a nice transition between!

[kwflconch]

Originally Posted by dxiweodwo

that's strange.....I wouldn't expect fall colors in Tampa until at least mid-December

same thing hapened in North-GA last year, I noticed leaves changing in late August, but it was because of extremely hot and dry conditions

Yea. I though that too.

[GraniteStater]

Drought or being in the northwoods would be the only reasons for leaves to change in August.

[Stormcrow73]

Originally Posted by Plains10

Drought or being in the northwoods would be the only reasons for leaves to change in August.

Yep, extreme heat can do it too. I've noticed a lot of birches and maples "changing" here in Little Rock too and we've had plenty of rain. It's just the heat. Those types of trees don't really belong here even though they can survive the summers. What's being seen is just the death cycle of the leaves as the chlorophyl fades revealing the underlying color briefly before they brown out totally. Pretty similar process to the fall change I guess but the color certainly doesn't last as long and represents the tree's response to extreme stress.

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow73

Yep, extreme heat can do it too. I've noticed a lot of birches and maples "changing" here in Little Rock too and we've had plenty of rain. It's just the heat. Those types of trees don't really belong here even though they can survive the summers. What's being seen is just the death cycle of the leaves as the chlorophyl fades revealing the underlying color briefly before they brown out totally. Pretty similar process to the fall change I guess but the color certainly doesn't last as long and represents the tree's response to extreme stress.

Yeah, sometimes you will see "browning of leaves" here in Texas in August but it's due to extreme heat/dryness. It seems to me that some trees are more prone to this than others too.

[ColdCanadian]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow73

Yep, extreme heat can do it too. I've noticed a lot of birches and maples "changing" here in Little Rock too and we've had plenty of rain. It's just the heat. Those types of trees don't really belong here even though they can survive the summers. What's being seen is just the death cycle of the leaves as the chlorophyl fades revealing the underlying color briefly before they brown out totally. Pretty similar process to the fall change I guess but the color certainly doesn't last as long and represents the tree's response to extreme stress.

NICE! So you've found a way to find fall colour without fall or winter-like weather.

I think I might like seeing fall colour if it was caused by the heat index being 100 F or higher.