FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The first signs of fall have begun to appear in parts of Alaska, with forecasters noting that trees around Fairbanks and across the North Slope are starting to lose some of their warm season green.
While the changes are not yet dramatic or widespread, patches of yellow and orange are visible on some brush and trees.
According to local forecasters, birch and aspen trees are among the first species to display fall hues.
The seasonal change is only considered to be slightly earlier than normal, with the most dramatic changes only a few weeks away.
In past years, changes in leaves have typically become more noticeable towards the latter half of August, but recent weather patterns may be influencing the earlier start.
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In recent days, the weather across much of the Last Frontier has been cloudy and wet, with several significant storm systems sweeping into the state’s interior.
The storm systems are not only producing rainfall, but along some higher elevations, temperatures will be cold enough to produce the first measurable snowfall of the season.
The Brooks Range is one of the primary areas expecting snow, though few residents will witness it as the region is sparsely populated.
The Fairbanks area is losing roughly 7 minutes of daylight each day, a result of Earth’s seasonal tilt.
The loss of sunlight triggers chemical changes in trees, causing chlorophyll to break down and allowing yellow, orange and red pigments to become visible.
A popular location for leaf viewing is Denali National Park & Preserve, which spans more than 6 million acres and contains the tallest peak in North America.
Widespread color changes have not yet been reported at the park, with peak foliage season usually arriving by early September.
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The combination of shorter days and cooler nights is setting the stage for more widespread fall color in the coming weeks, which will gradually spread into Canada and other parts of North America.
By the end of September, higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains and communities along the U.S.-Canada border often begin to display their seasonal hues.
Most of the country enters its peak foliage season in October, with northern-tier states, including New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, being the first to reach peak color status during the month’s early weeks.
According to fall foliage predictions from Explorefall.com, a website that offers resources and tools to track changing colors of leaves, the country as a whole may see a delayed onset of foliage, with parts of the Ohio Valley and the middle-southern Mississippi River Valley seeing some of the greatest variances.
The timing of peak foliage can vary from year to year, depending on several climatological factors, such as drought conditions, rainfall, temperatures and cloud cover.
Original article source: First signs of changing leaves spotted in Alaska as seasonal shift begins
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