KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fall is the time of year we look forward to the changing leaves, but it takes a certain combination of weather and science to get those fall colors — and the timeline starts a few months prior.
Hot is an understatement when it comes to the last few months of Kansas City’s weather.
“It’s been so hot late in the summer and for the early start of autumn, but also, it’s been so dry," KSHB 41 meteorologist Lindsey Anderson said.
She said the heat doesn’t help create golden hues.
“We had a few days in a row of the 90s,” she said. “That really limits the colors in the leaves and in the foliage, too."
Anderson explained what weather is best to facilitate vibrant fall colors.
“We need sunny and warm autumn days, we need cool but frost-free nights, so no frost forming at night, but we also need some moisture in the soil,” Anderson said.
From there, the visual display is determined by the anatomy of the plant.
“We have leaves that are mostly green throughout the season here, and they are green because of a pigment they have called chlorophyll,” said Julie Copley, horticulture conservationist at Powell Gardens.
Copley said when the sun starts to fade, other colors within the leaves show.
“Chlorophyll is taking in all the sun, energy and transforming it into sugars and everything a tree needs to grow,” she said. “We’re seeing that the chlorophyll is starting to break down — that yellow has been part of the tree all year long, that green color is now being reduced because the sun is not out quite so much.”
So, although lack of rain will play its part this fall, now is your time to enjoy the view.
—
