CLEVELAND — Sunday marked the first day of fall and as autumn settles in, Ohioans are getting ready for the beautiful sight of fall foliage.

While experts say it will be a good fall season, we may notice some trees to be showing signs of stress affecting the vibrant colors we’re used to because of the dry conditions that hit Ohio this summer.

What You Need To Know

  • Drought may not affect color changes for the most part 

  • Unusual patterns for trees changing colors expected

  • Some trees will still display their typical colors, while others may look a bit dry

It’s the first day of fall, some trees already showed early signs of fall foliage.

Karen Lakus is a naturalist at the Rocky River Nature Center and has been with Cleveland Metroparks for 14 years. She’s getting ready for all that fall in Ohio offers.

“About now, fall, the trees realize as daylight starts to weigh in and temperatures get cooler that the sun isn’t going to be out to feed them anymore, so that’s when they shut down and go to sleep for the winter,” she said.

Lakus said some trees won’t have the same colorful transition to because of the dry conditions that hit Ohio this summer. Something David Parrot with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) said is expected.

“Areas that are in the more extreme levels of drought, we are already seeing a lot of trees that the leaves are changing and they are kind of drying off and falling off of the trees in some instances,” he said.

Some trees will still display their typical colors, while others may look a bit dry. Experts said the drought conditions will affect their ability to produce maple like color changes.

“So this year it’s going to be a little different where it’s almost going to be sporadic in waves, where there’s some color here, not some color here,” he said. “And then some of those trees are going to stay the course and peak towards the middle or end of October.”