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Some places on the southern Plains have hit 95-100 F / 35-38 C in early October. In those areas, that's typically too early for brilliant foliage, though there will be some color. You might see 90 F / 32 C even in late October, so brilliant foliage and 90 F / 32 C is certainly a possibility.
I would say in a given year in some areas of the southern Plains (e.g. Oklahoma, north Texas) you'll probably see low 90s and foliage. 100 is on the edge of possibility but possible nonetheless.
In those same areas, you're likely to see 80s and bare trees, most likely in a February / early March warm spell.
Temperature has little to do with why leaves actually change color. It's more so a response to the seasons and the earths axis tilt. Less sun = less photosynthesis = leaves changing color.
Southern California has trees that change color, but these trees would change color regardless of whether they are in a warm or cold climate. It's spotty here, as none of the actual native vegetation changes color, so the deciduous trees that were randomly planted in yards or along streets change their color and lose leaves, but it's odd because you will usually see it next to a Jacaranda with a full green canopy or a palm tree.
I hate when people say this, obviously change in the amount of daylight and sun angle has its influence, but temperature is much more of an influence. If what you said was true, fall color would occur at the same time every single year but it's noticeably later on warmer-than-normal autumns.
I hate when people say this, obviously change in the amount of daylight and sun angle has its influence, but temperature is much more of an influence. If what you said was true, fall color would occur at the same time every single year but it's noticeably later on warmer-than-normal autumns.
Well I didn't say it had nothing to do. I said it had LITTLE to do with it. Much less than other factors.
The leaves are starting to turn here in Southern California yet we're forcasting 100+ temperatures coming this weekend. Triple digit heat in October here is not common but not that unusual either. It seems length of day influences when the leaves turn in addition to temperature.
Any other places in the world where it's possible to see the strange combination of blistering heat AND fall foliage? I suppose this is also possible in Arizona but trees don't grow naturally there in the desert, only planted and watered regularly in certain neighborhoods.
I don't think any of the trees you see in the L.A. Basin that are deciduous and change colors naturally grow there either. I lived in OC for years and the only trees that actually changed colors were the Sweetgum trees (which are a horrible tree, btw, but I think people there plant them only because they do actually change colors in a climate where it never frosts or freezes) and maybe some other odd type of tree that turned yellow for a while. Most of the deciduous trees in coastal OC just got ugly in late fall - maybe a little color, mixed in with flowering and new leaves coming on all at the same time. Ash trees would turn/shed/grow all at the same time, looking rather ugly for a few weeks in late Dec/early January.
But yeah, you could find the odd trees turning colors while it's 100 degrees around SoCal.
Some places on the southern Plains have hit 95-100 F / 35-38 C in early October. In those areas, that's typically too early for brilliant foliage, though there will be some color. You might see 90 F / 32 C even in late October, so brilliant foliage and 90 F / 32 C is certainly a possibility.
I would say in a given year in some areas of the southern Plains (e.g. Oklahoma, north Texas) you'll probably see low 90s and foliage. 100 is on the edge of possibility but possible nonetheless.
In those same areas, you're likely to see 80s and bare trees, most likely in a February / early March warm spell.
I've seen it be 90 with bare trees in Denver in early May. We're just starting to see a little color in the city, and it's supposed to be mid 80s this weekend. But the climate here is very up and down from Fall to Spring.
I've seen peak foliage in New Hampshire and 85°F temperatures; 100°F is very unlikely there in summer let alone fall. What does foliage look like southern California? I assumed it was too mild to get much of any color change.
Coastal SoCal gets very little color since most trees are either broad-leafed evergreen (those trees that never lose their leaves and can't take hard freezes, like Ficus, Magnolia, Avacado, citrus, etc.) or palms. Further inland (like Riverside and San Bernardino areas), it's a little higher in elevation and far enough from the ocean that they get frosts here and there in winter, so maybe half the trees are deciduous in more inland areas, but still don't really turn colors well.
It's probably the most important factor. Plentiful summer precipitation is another factor for good autumn colors as well.
If what you said was true, there would be little variation between the timing of autumn colors from year to year.
No. Temperature will most likely affect the vibrancy of the color, but it has little to do with why they turn colors. Decreased sunlight is the biggest factor. Period.
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