Early frost this week affects fall foliage, plus a preview of this fall’s outlook

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Central New York had a taste of fall this week with cooler than normal temperatures for this time of year. Monday night, Frost Advisories were issued for Northern Oneida, Lewis, and Northern Jefferson counties for the Tug Hill and Adirondacks regions. In Syracuse and the immediate CNY area, highs were only in the 60s to start the week, dropping into the 40s at night. Plus, there was another similar spell of cool air a couple of weeks ago.

This cool air for late summer has started an early change in the fall foliage colors. You may notice some trees around CNY with patches of colors beginning to develop. However, when it gets too cold and frost develops, this can have negative impacts on fall foliage. Frost can cause cell damage inside the leaves causing them to die and turn brown. Plus, frost can cause trees to shed their leaves too quickly leading to an early leaf drop before the leaves even change color. Also, frost can lead to muted colors, especially the red leaves on maple trees, appearing very dull. Lastly, an early frost causes a response in the trees telling them that winter is approaching and causing their leaves to change color earlier in the season.

The weather conditions during the summer and fall has a major impact on the fall foliage. For the best fall foliage, the ideal weather is a rainy summer which keeps the trees healthy and leaf retention longer. In which, this past August 2024 was the 4th rainiest we’ve ever had in Syracuse since record keeping began in 1902. Sunny fall, during shorter days, leads to more sugar production in the leaves which causes color changes. Warm days helps with sugar production, and cool nights restricts the veins of the leaves and prevents sugar from escaping, leading to brighter fall foliage colors.

A summer drought can lower the health of the trees and cause leaves to fall off the tree prematurely. A cloudy and rainy fall means less sugar production in the leaves due to lack of sun, leading to duller colors. Strong wind can knock many of the leaves off the trees. Plus, high heat and hard frost can damage or kill the leaves.

Even though the leaves have started changing in spots, the official fall foliage report from I Love NY isn’t released until September 12th. We will update you on the latest fall foliage report when it comes out, stay tuned!