Prolonged heat could threaten peak fall colors in Denver

DENVER ( KDVR ) — Fall leaves usually change around Denver at the start of October, however, a local arborist said that with the continuing summertime heat , the city may not see much of a peak season.

According to Heather Virgil, an arborist with Bailey Tree LLC , the trees around the city start to change color when it gets cooler, which usually begins around September. However, with the temperatures still reaching the 80s in October, Vigil said the trees are about two to three weeks behind.

“Trees change with shorter days, cooler nights, cooler soil temperatures and moisture. I know a few years ago, we had a lot of great moisture, and the colors were amazing in the fall, and we’re just not getting that. A lot of the trees just think that it’s still summer,” said Vigil.

The mountains are seeing color because of the moisture and cooler temperatures, according to Vigil, but in Denver, the fall temperatures are being pushed back later into the season. While Denver will soon start to feel like fall with high temperatures in the 70s and cooler nights, Vigil said it’s not enough for the leaves.

“On years like this, we tend to not have a great fall. We tend to get a cold snap and some moisture, and then trees just kind of instantly change, and we just go straight into winter,” said Vigil.

This year’s peak season in Denver should be in two to three weeks, according to Vigil, but it will only be some color, not exactly a peak before the trees start to lose their leaves. Despite the not-so-colorful fall in the city, Vigil said there is some good news.

Vigil said trees tend to hang onto their leaves as a source of food, especially during dry seasons like this year. This means that the trees in Denver will have lots of food reserves, giving the trees more energy for next year to produce colorful leaves.

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