A muted fall (global warming affecting foliage season in NH)

[highplainsdem]

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/10162005/news/68271.htm


A muted fall

By Susan Morse


A warm fall has delayed the peak of foliage and, despite state tourism assurances to the contrary, has created disappointing color in the leaves that have turned.

The lack of a frost is "one of the reasons this year’s fall foliage has been disappointing," said Dr. Barry Rock, a professor of natural resources at the University of New Hampshire. "It’s delayed, and what little we’ve had has been muted."

<snip>

"Everyone’s hoping we get some color," Rock said. "The chamber of commerce, of course, doesn’t want to admit this is happening."

<snip>

Rock believes this year’s delayed season is not an anomaly. It follows a trend of warmer fall weather, triggered by global warming, said Rock, who four years ago published, "Preparing for a Changing Climate, The New England Regional Assessment."

<snip>

[Canuckistanian]

1. Boy, is it ever noticeable here in Ontario, Canada

I can't believe we're in the middle of Oct. and some maples are still green or half green. There are yellow leaves and a few oranges, but no red leaves.
Sometimes you can see trees with one branch of yellow leaves and the rest of the tree green. Very weird.

[Earth_First]

2. It is also quite noticeable here in Upstate (Rochester) New York...

how were/are the High Peaks this autumn?
Any downstate DUers make the trip up to ADK recently?

[distantearlywarning]

3. Same in here in Western PA.

Our leaves are just barely turning, and the weather has been extremely warm. We had temps in the mid 80's all the way up until last week. Now we are still in the low-mid 70's in mid-October. I still haven't been able to wear a sweater or a long-sleeved shirt yet. Very, very strange weather this year.

[SillyGoose]

4. This is sad. I lived in the northeast for years and the fall season was

my favorite time of year due, in large part, to all the beautiful and colorful foliage.

:(

[julianer]

5. Same in UK

20 degrees plus up to a day or two ago, now down to mid-teens. People walking around in teeshirts.

It's giving me the creeps.

[Orrin_73]

6. Same here in Holland too

we are still wearing t-shirts.

[havocmom]

7. We were just looking out the window and commenting about slow turning

of trees here in eastern Montana last evening. They are usually all bare by now and at least half of them in town are still half green.

Bird migration is off this year too. We still have seagulls around and they usually bug out a month and a half earlier than this.

How are the bugs where you all are? Still have skeeter, no-see-ums, lady bugs, dragon flies and butter flies way up here in the ususally frozen north. The toads stayed out and about 5 weeks longer than usual too.

Hell, I still have tomato vines producing fruit AND still blooming!
Maybe we don't have to move to the Southwest to enjoy gardening year 'round in our retirement... Might just stay put and do it here.

[NewHampshireDem]

8. That's a good point about the bugs, especially here in southern NH

We've been waiting for a couple of killing frosts to knock down the 'skeeters' too because of fears over Triple E (Eastern equine encephalitis). We've had seven infections and two fatalities this fall.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/10/12/seventh_person_in_nh_found_to_have_triple_e/

[Donna Zen]

9. Maine's the same

Yesterday driving to Bangor, Mr. Z and I talked about the lack of reds. Considering how many years the two of us have spent painting these hills, we definately notice what colors are out there. Also, raking the backyard the other day, I also noticed that most of the maples are still holding mostly green leaves.

Strange indeed.

[freethought]

15. Still pretty green everywhere in Maine!

I was expecting some great color this year. We had good rain. Throughout the late spring and summer everything seemed lush and green, and that usually fortells of a good year for autumn color. No Deal!!
Alot of trees are still very green and what few trees are showing color, well the colors aren't very good.

In few words. This sucks!!

[skids]

10. Been waiting for the leaves to fall.

So I can test my solar space heaters. They are in the way.

Lots of leaves lost today due to strong wind -- but still green. Not sure that's so good for the trees.

[formercia]

11. Maine too

This seems to be a widespread phenomenon. My zukes are still going strong.

[EuroObserver]

12. Feels like Spring here in Barcelona (Catalonia) today

But we did receive some welcome, but more than usually torrential rain off the remains of that _very_ anomalous little hurricane that formed near Madeira and headed this way.

... on the order of 10 dead, mostly stupidly, trying to cross raging flash-flood torrents in 50-weeks-of-the-year bone-dry watercourses, sometimes diverted by all the recent concrete that's been laid during the recent construction boom under the watchful eye of our ever-corrupt local politicos...

[NNadir]

13. I was noticing this here in New Jersey this morning.

It seems unusally late for color. Only a few trees have actually turned.

Until two weeks ago, we were experiencing a rather profound drought. Generally the droughts diminish fall colors over all, sometimes causing the leaves to simply turn brown and fall off. This has actually happened to a few trees around here, including some on my property.

I have a wonderful Branford Pear on my front lawn that actually turns each year in December, usually a beautiful yellow color streaked here and there with red. I am wondering if this year if it will still have leaves in January.

[adigal]

14. I live north of Albany, and was noticing

the same thing today - I told my husband the colors were so dull this year. Bleeechh. And this is my favorite time of year, but this year, not too nice.

[all.of.me]

16. northern new mexico, too

the nights have been very warm, so the colors were not spectacular. cold nights make pretty colors. i moved here from northern new england, so i understand the beauty of the fall colors. some years were good, some were not. let's hope this is not a pattern.