GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The annual transformation of green foliage into vibrant orange, red, and yellow can simply be explained by the chemicals inside the leaves.
The autumn colors that we all love are always present within the leaf.
However, chlorophyll, the green compound that's responsible for making food for the tree, is dominant during the warmer spring and summer months. Basically, the superior substance covers up the other colors.
But as temperatures cool and daylight shortens in the fall, the once dominant chlorophyll begins to break down.
That allows the other colors to reveal themselves.
The red (anthocyanin), orange (carotene), and yellow (xanthophyll) pigments begin to pop - for a beautiful bouquet of an autumn tree.
The warm and sunny afternoons, along with cool but not freezing temperatures overnight bring out the best fall colors.
According to KARE 11 Meteorologist Ben Dery, all across the state of Minnesota, "green prime" is in its ending stage. That's when, Dery said, we start to see patchy areas of fall foliage. Dery said trees that are stressed are typically the first to show a tinge of color, usually thanks to a summer drought — something Minnesota knows a lot about after this season.
As colors begin to pop, Dery said we can expect them to peak in northern Minnesota as early as mid-September, while the color climax in the Twin Cities usually occurs in late September to mid-October.
To follow along with the progression of Minnesota's fall foliage, visit the DNR's website and keep your eye on posts from KARE 11's weather team.
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