It was an unusually wet spring and summer, and if that pattern continues, we can expect a more subtle display of fall colors this autumn.
"When you get lots of rain, overcast conditions, everything gets muted and warmer yellow," said Nina Bassuk, an emeritus professor at Cornell University's Urban Horticulture Institute.
Some oak and Norway maple trees have shed their leaves already due to fungal diseases. But Bassuk points out that other species like sugar maple, red maple, birch, and poplar will produce color. She won't make any predictions about how vibrant those colors will be this year.
It all depends on the weather.
"September through mid-October is when you really start to have the changes based on day lengths shortening, (and the) warm sunny days and cool nights that will bring out the more orange-red colors," she said.
New York's fall foliage season typically runs from late September to November, with trees in the northern part of the state reaching their peak color first. In the Finger Lakes, it's typically mid-to-late October.
