See Why Texas May Not Be Filled With Vibrant Fall Colors This Year

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Texas struggled with an ongoing drought this summer, which may have a significant impact on this year's fall foliage. Click 2 Houston reported that even though there was some late summer rain, trees all across the state are showing signs of stress.

So what does this mean for the vibrant fall colors?

Unfortunately, colors may not be as vivid this year. The Texas A&M Forest Service said on Tuesday, "This fall is expected to be warmer and drier than average and combined with the effects related to the lingering drought, that means this year's fall foliage may be less vibrant than usual."

Karl Flocke, Texas A&M Forest Service woodland economist, said that trees were putting on fewer, smaller leaves this spring. This will likely lead to colors that are "less impressive" than in years past.

According to Texas A&M Forest Service, during droughts, trees can produce yellow and brown pigments to protect their photosynthetic organs from being damaged by excessive sunlight.

Flocke explained, "This is similar to the process that causes the color change of leaves in the fall, but instead of being triggered by cold weather, it is caused by abnormally dry conditions. This is one of the reasons why people may have noticed dull yellows and browns across Texas for months now, even though we still have not experienced widespread cold weather."


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