When will the peak fall foliage be in Ohio? Very, very soon experts say.
The countdown has begun.
It's peeper season in Greater Akron when lovers of fall color begin to look for the first signs of leaves changing.
Fall officially arrives Saturday.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has officially launched its own countdown to peak fall colors on with its 2023 Ohio Fall Color Series on YouTube.
The state's resident leaf experts, Josiah Wade and David Parrott, will provide weekly updates on the progress of Mother Nature painting the leaves in fall colors.
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So far, ODNR's Ohio Fall Color Progress Map is all green with no significant signs of leaves changing just yet in the state.
But that will change in the coming weeks as fall weather with rain and chilly nights settles in.
When will it be peak fall color in Ohio?
Predicting when the leaves will change is not an exact science.
It's dictated by summer's weather with factors from heat to rain playing a role.
And then there's the fall weather that also plays a factor.
The past two falls in Ohio have experienced late peaks for foliage with the splash of color falling in late October for most spots, including Northeast Ohio.
Late peaks usually mean shorter peeper seasons as the weather in northern Ohio gets a bit more rainy and windy, meaning the colorful leaves do not stick around very long.
“This year’s weather may have a significant impact on the distribution of fall colors statewide,” ODNR's Parrott said. “We had a dry spring and a dry end to this summer. These dry conditions can lead to trees being more stressed, and stressed trees tend to lose their chlorophyll earlier and drop their leaves. However, as long as we get enough precipitation to help the leaves hang on through the fall — without any storms that blow the leaves off — the cool evenings we are starting to experience with the sunny days are setting this fall up to have some great fall colors in many areas throughout the state.”
With all this in mind, ODNR predicts northern Ohio will be at its peak the second week of October with Central Ohio experiencing its peak the third week and Southern Ohio in the final week.
The Farmer's Almanac, which has been making weather-related predictions since 1818, says Ohio peak fall foliage will fall between Oct. 5 and 21.
The interactive Fall Foliage Prediction map produced by the SmokyMountains.com tourist site forecasts that northern Ohio will see peak leaf color the week of Oct. 16 this year, with the leaves starting to turn as early as late September.
What are the first leaves in northern Ohio to turn?
Varieties like the red maples and sugar maples are usually the first to show some color in northern Ohio, followed in turn by the hickory and oaks.
Another factor, experts say, is whether a tree is under stress and if that is the case, it will shed its leaves first.
And there's a lot of science behind just how vibrant or drab a tree's leaf will be. These factors range from soil to weather to its genetic makeup
Craig Webb, who is already fretting over what to do with the anticipated mountain of leaves in his yard, can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Fall foliage in Akron: Leaves already changing in Northeast Ohio
