Connecticut hotels and tourist sites that plan for increased business around the fall foliage might be in for an erratic season this year.
According to a Connecticut Public Radio report, trees change color when their leaves stop receiving water, which shuts off their chlorophyll production and leads to the autumnal hues celebrated across New England. This usually occurs during the colder weather when the trees usually shut down the water on their own, but the summer drought has sped up the process and many trees in the state started turning color in August.
“The good news is there’s more opportunities to get out and see the colors, especially like mid-to-late September,” said Chris Martin, director of forestry at the state”™s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “The bad news is you don’t get to see it all at once, so it’s not quite as in your face, with all the trees turning color at one time.”
Martin added that colder weather during the evening helps bring out the best of the fall foliage ”“ particularly in late September when the night temperature can drop to the upper 30s and bring about an environment “really rolling into the colors.” But if the summer”™s warm weather extends into the early fall, Martin warned the foliage display will be less than stellar.
