One of the best things about autumn is all the fall colors. According to Bill Carlos from the Wilbur D. May Arboretum in Reno, we may have about two to four more weeks left to enjoy all of the beautiful colors, but it’s all dependent on the weather. Leaves change color as the amount of daylight and temperature changes going from summer to fall. What the leaves don’t want is a hard freeze or wind to blow them all away.
During summer and spring the leaves produce a lot of chlorophyll which is also their food source. As the seasons change the chlorophyll breaks down and leaves in its wake different colors such as red, yellow, orange, or purple depending on the type of tree and the type of pigment it produces. Red is made of Anthocyanin and yellows and oranges are made of Carotenoid, like in carrots. In Reno you can find a wide variety of colors, but in the Sierra you’ll primarily find a lot of yellows. Oak trees are usually the last trees to turn color and they are already starting to turn at the Wilbur D. May Arboretum.
If you want to go exploring and look at the colors this weekend the forecast looks great, especially Saturday with temperatures around 80 degrees and light winds. It will be chilly in the morning though with temperatures in the 30’s.
Hopefully the leaves will be able to withstand the wind this weekend, especially Sunday as wind gusts are forecasted to near 45 miles per hour in the Truckee Meadows. Combine gusty winds with dry air we also have a Fire Weather Watch in place for Sunday as well.
Behind the front temperatures will drop several degrees with highs next week in the low 60’s and morning temperatures falling a couple degrees below freezing at the Reno airport, and even colder in outlying areas. If the leaves can make it through the wind this Sunday and the cold next week the fall colors might be here a while, but it might be a challenge for them to survive.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the beautiful colors while they are here.
