Dropping temps, additional moisture, longer nights help fall foliage outlook

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

HOPE, Ark. — The arrival of more fall-like temperatures and the season’s longer nights are expected to encourage an improved autumn color display, says Vic Ford, head of agriculture and natural resources for the Cooperative Extension Service.

In northern Arkansas, lows are forecast to sneak into the 40s this week. In northeast, central and southern Arkansas, lows are expected to sink into the 50s and 60s.

SEEING RED — Cooler temperatures and longer days will help encourage fall color. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

“The cooler temperatures will help two processes needed for fall color to happen,” Ford said. “First, it will accelerate abscission layer formation. This layer cuts off nutrient flow to the leaf and is where the leaf will eventually break from the tree, but more immediately, it keeps excess sugars in the leaf, promoting non-green pigment production in the leaf.”

The cooler temperatures “also quicken chlorophyll degradation, allowing the leaves’ natural red and gold pigments to show,” he said.

“The recent rains may also help intensify color,” Ford said.

The Climate Prediction Center says it’s likely Arkansas will see below-normal temperatures through Oct. 22.

The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

LABOR DAY: Fall foliage may fizzle

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

HOPE, Ark. — Thanks to a string of dry days with highs in the 100s, Arkansas’ fall foliage display may fizzle this year.

“It’s going to be a pretty bad fall across the state,” said Vic Ford, a forester who is head of agriculture and natural resources for the Cooperative Extension Service. “A lot of trees are already turning brown.

Drought is likely to put a damper on fall foliage color in 2023, says Vic Ford, forester and administrator at the Cooperative Extension Service. (U of A System Division of Agriuculture photo by Mary Hightower)

“There’s a lot of drought stress going around,” he said. When drought hits, one of the tree’s survival mechanisms is to cut sap flow to its leaves, preventing moisture from evaporating from the leaves, which leads to browning and early leaf fall.

“Leaf color change of the type we like to see in fall is driven by day length and temperature,” Ford said. “The shorter day encourages the green chlorophyll to break down, revealing the yellows and reds. Cooler temperatures allow the non-green colors in the leaf to develop more fully.”

The Drought Center map for Arkansas showed areas of abnormal dryness in eastern Arkansas along the Missouri border, some patches in southwest Arkansas, but a broad swath of dryness north of the Arkansas River extending from the Mississippi River as far west as Faulkner and Pulaski counties. Five counties have areas of severe drought including all of Lee County, and parts of St. Francis, Woodruff, Monroe and Phillips counties.

The dryness was also prompting counties to impose burn bans across the state as the wildfire danger increased across most of the state.

“In areas where there might be more moisture, you may get some color, such as on northern slopes,” he said.

If the dry spell is upended, the chances for color might improve slightly.

“Any moisture in the next couple of weeks could produce color in places that are marginal,” Ford said.

Speaking from Hope, he said that “elms are just turning totally brown and the privet has wilted completely.”

La Niña gives way to El Niño
While cooler temperatures were in the forecast, the National Weather Service at Little Rock was not expecting abundant rain.

“Looking ahead, La Niña has faded, with a transition to a moderate to strong El Niño in the coming months,” the weather service said. “As we head through the remainder of summer/early fall long-term data is showing largely below normal precipitation across Arkansas.

“In addition to a lack of thunderstorms, there could be extreme heat at times,” the weather service said. “Given the scenario, and if there is no rain by way of a tropical system, drought is a growing concern in the short term. We will continue monitoring the situation.”

The Cooperative Extension Service is the land grant outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Arkansas Expects Tourism Bump From Leaf Peeping In October

By DAVID MONTEITH

State parks in Arkansas, which have seen increased visitation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, expect to see even more traffic as temperatures drop and leaves become more colorful. Monika Rued, spokesperson for Arkansas State Parks, says leaf-peeping — visiting an area specifically to view its foliage — is very popular as trees change color each fall.

The state park's website gives general dates to expect trees to be most colorful in different regions of Arkansas, but weather can be a factor, with times potentially varying by more than a month.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-expects-tourism-bump-leaf-peeping-october

Leaves were beginning to show fall colors Saturday at the historic Cunningham Cabin at Cabot Middle School South.

CREDIT WES GOODNER / FOR KUAR NEWS

Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Fall Adventures in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK – The blazing foliage of fall is reason enough to travel the Natural State this weekend, but there’s more to autumn in Arkansas than the brightly colored leaves. Today I’d like to mention a few spots worth a visit this time of year in addition to the trails of leaves.

Arkansas State Parks is a big part of our tourism economy, and tourism is Arkansas’s second-largest industry. More than 8 million tourists visit our state and its parks every year, which brings in a billion dollars annually.

We have fifty-two state parks in forty-eight counties. The parks system encompasses nearly 55,000 beautiful acres all over the state, including over 400 miles of trails for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding.

The leaves demand the most attention, of course. Kirk Jordan, a photographer who travels the state for Arkansas State Parks, spent Thursday on the road and said this weekend is a prime time for viewing in the Ouachitas and Ozarks. Farther north, and at higher elevations, the leaves have peaked, and in southern Arkansas, Kirk says you have a couple of weeks still. He said that this year’s colors are even brighter than last year.

Kirk contributes to Arkansas Tourism’s weekly Fall Color Update at Arkansas.com, where you also can read about our scenic roadways, such as the Talimena National Scenic Byway. In eastern Arkansas, Crowley’s Ridge Parkway and the Great River Road National Scenic Byways cut through the hardwoods of the St. Francis National Forest. The Pig Trail is one of five U.S. Forest Service Scenic Byways in the Ozark National Forest. Another is the Sylamore Byway, which runs between Calico Rock and Allison.

One of the great things about Arkansas is that you don’t have to stay in your car to enjoy the leaves. Five years ago, I was one of the first cyclists to ride on a section of the Delta Heritage Trail State Park near Helena-West Helena just as the leaves were starting to turn. That trail cuts through some of the prettiest landscape in the state. Since then, through various public and private-sector partnerships, our state has added miles and miles.

You can enjoy autumn from a canoe or kayak at Lake Monticello or Bayou Bartholomew, the longest bayou in the world and the second-most diverse stream in the nation with more than a hundred aquatic species. At Lake Chicot State Park, bird watchers on foot find this is a good time of year to add new sightings to their list.

The choices for autumn adventure are many. I hope you can find a moment to enjoy Arkansas. That’s a good way to clear your mind as you prepare to vote on Tuesday.