Did this year's drought steal our fall colors? We asked an expert.
Talking fall colors with Jessica Savage
Fall colors brighten the trees, as seen from the Bagley Nature Area overlook on the UMD campus.
As peak leaf-peeping season approaches, we connected with an expert at UMD to discuss what to expect for this year’s colorful season of change.
We spoke with University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) biologist and leaf expert Jessica Savage to learn how 2026 weather trends may impact this fall season, learn about what’s going on behind the scenes, and help plan for prime leaf-peeping.
Fall Color Q&A with Jessica Savage, PhD
Q: How are this year’s weather events going to impact the fall colors?
A: The cool evenings that we have experienced this fall are a promising start to the season. Cool evenings can make for vibrant colors and are important for having a long foliage season. We did have a drought this summer, but recent precipitation might dampen any effect that the drought will have on the foliage.
Q: What makes the perfect fall foliage?
A: Colors are often the most vibrant when we have a cool autumn that is not too dry. Cold temperatures can lead to more red colors, and moisture can prevent drought damage. It is also important that we don’t have an early freeze, because freezing temperatures can dull foliage colors.
Q: When can we expect leaves to peak this year?
A: If the weather continues on a similar trajectory, we will get peak color in early to mid-October in Duluth. The exact timing will depend on the weather and on where you go to see the foliage. Lake Superior has a large effect on the timing of leaf color change in the Arrowhead region. Right by the edge of the lake, warm autumn temperatures can delay color change, leading to later peak foliage compared to more inland areas. What this means is that if you come to the North Shore and cannot find peak color in one spot, sometimes you just need to move closer or farther from the lake. This is one reason we often have a long fall foliage season in this region.
Q: Where are your favorite places to look at the fall leaves?
A: In Duluth, it is hard to beat the views from Hawk Ridge and Rock Knob in Hartley Park. However, my favorite experiences are often tied to certain plants instead of locations. I love walking into a forest dominated by sugar maples and seeing all the shades of yellow and orange or visiting a bog and seeing all the yellow tamarack trees. There is also nothing quite as beautiful as a sumac and the full glory of its oranges and reds.
About Jessica Savage
Jessica Savage, PhD, is an associate professor in the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at UMD. Her research explores the physiological-basis of how plants interact with their environment, and how these interactions impact broader patterns in plant ecology. She has conducted research examining many aspects of plant stress tolerance and more recently investigated the role of the plant vascular system, specifically the phloem, in determining patterns of plant growth and reproduction. Her research spans the fields of plant physiology and ecology, and she has studied a variety of plant species from willows (Salix) to giant pumpkins (Cucurbita maxima). She has recently been examining how seasonal changes in the vascular system of plants impact the timing of flowering and leaf out in the spring to better understand the physiological basis of plant phenology and seasonality, two factors that are critical in understanding species current and future geographic distributions.
Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 218-726-8122
Related publications
You can find more on her laboratory page as well as some of her work highlighted by the Smithsonian.
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