BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Western New York State recently got a taste of fall, with many locations in the West and Mid-South reporting overnight lows of 4 degrees Celsius. While no records were set, it’s fair to call it a taste of “things to come.”
The sun has now set and the skies are clear. Temperatures tonight will fall to similar lows to last night. In some places in the Southern Tier, temperatures were well below 4 degrees. #WNY #WX pic.twitter.com/MJOHdRCeN1
— Josh Nichols (@wnywxguy) 23 August 2024
You may have noticed not only how cool it has been, but also that some trees in western New York State already appear to be changing color, as if fall had arrived early. I noticed this on the Thruway that runs from Rochester to Buffalo. I also noticed this in the middle of downtown Buffalo, right outside our 7 News studios.
Josh Nichols
The sight makes you wonder (I couldn’t resist!) if this is a sign of early fall or if it’s something else entirely. So I did a little research to find out what the “root cause” of this is (two puns in one article is more than enough).
It turns out, for summer lovers, that the leaves turning their autumnal hues are actually a sign that the tree is under stress, as opposed to the normal color changes we expect around September and October.
Many of these stresses are related to the weather and climate and can cause the tree to be attacked by pests or even diseases.
Even the longer growing season due to climate change can put stress on a tree. Smoke from forest fires, which has recently reached the earth’s surface, can also place excessive stress on our trees.
Conclusion: The tree’s recent color change shows that it is battling recent weather extremes and is not necessarily an indication of how the fall will turn out.
