Fall color report October 7th 2012

Fall color is peaking across the area this week. Sugar Maples are nice and Red Maples are amazing in some areas, Poplars, Oaks, Sumacs have all turned. Earlier changing trees has past their peak are leafless. Dry summer conditions have really taking away out chance at a beautiful fall foliage season here in southern Minnesota. Most colors are rather dull and are just not vivid.
 
Our street October 7th 2012 Yellow Honey Locust.

 Here in Rochester colors have peaked were at 100% color, but when you look among the landscape you can see a wide range of colorings, from areas where most trees are bare, to some ares where trees are still very green. Over all the colors are very dull here in Rochester. Nothing really has stood out to me at all, especially after being in Wisconsin and seeing the colors in that area.

Morning lows October 7th.

This morning was quite cold across the area as a Canadian high pressure settled in the area and skies cleared. Low temperatures where clouds cleared first fell to as cold as the lower 20s are Austin and Dodge Center. Areas where clouds held on longer allowed the temperatures to stay in the upper 20s to lower 30s. Regardless of where you were this was an area wide hard freeze. In our yard the temperature fell to 28.F. All tender plants were hit hard and the growing season has officially ended.