Warmer temps can desynchronize the usually vibrant fall colors in western NC
JULIAN.
>> I HOPE THEY HAVE A GOOD
CANDY THERE THAT THEY DO FALL
IS HERE SUCH A PRETTY TIME OF
YEAR. THOSE WARM TEMPERATURES
WE SAW RECENTLY AND WIDER
WARMING TRENDS CAN HAVE AN
IMPACT ON THE FALL FOLIAGE,
WRAL, CLIMATE CHANGE REPORTER
LIZ MCLOUGHLIN EXPLORERS, HOW
THE LEAVES CHANGING IS
CHANGING.
>> A CANOPY OF COLOR LINES TO
DRIVE TO THE WIND IN BLUE RIDGE
PARKWAY. WE'RE VISITORS FROM
ACROSS THE COUNTRY FLOCK TO
COHN MANNER IN BANNER ELK NORTH
CAROLINA. I LIKE THAT. THE
NOISE YOU'RE HEARING OTHER
LEAVES BLOWING.
>> I'M FROM DES MOINES, IOWA.
YELLOWS ARE PROBABLY YES.
BUT WHEN THE SUN SHINES ON THEM
IN A SPARKLE STEP MUST BE A
FULL. WE'VE BEEN WAITING ALL
ALL DUE TO BE TO BE HERE TO SEE
TO SEE WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY
IS LIKE A PAINTING.
>> THE CRISP FALL AIR THE
CRUNCH OF THE LEAVES. NATURE'S
ANUAL QUE THAT WINTER IS
COMING. SO THEY GO THROUGH A
COORDINATED PROCESS OF DYING
FOR 20 YEARS. FALL FOLIAGE FANS
HAVE FOLLOWED THE PREDICTIONS
OF APPALACHIAN STATE PROFESSOR
HOWARD NEW FELT MORE COMMONLY
KNOWN BY HIS COLLOQUIAL NAME.
I JUST SAID FULL-COLOR GUY AND
IT STUCK. HE STUDIES THE MORE
THAN 150 TREE SPECIES THAT
PAINT THE LANDSCAPE EVERY FALL
IN THIS UNIQUE MOUNTAIN
ECOSYSTEM. IF IT'S WARM, IT
DELAYS THE COLORS.
>> MILLIONS OF LEAF PEEPERS
MAKE THEIR WAY HERE TO WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA TO TAKE IN THE
STUNNING
AUTUMN VIEWS. BUT THAT COVID
PEAK IS BECOMING MORE VARIED
WITH WARMING FALL.
TEMPERATURES.
>> IN BETWEEN THE HUES OF RUST
AND GOLD. SOME TREES ARE STILL
GREEN WHILE OTHERS ARE ALREADY
THERE.
>> WHAT I CALL IT IS A D
SYNCHRONIZATION OF THE FALL
COLOR DISPLAY BECAUSE YOU GET
TREES THAT NORMALLY WOULD ALL
COLOR AT THE SAME TIME. BUT
WITH THE WARM WEATHER THERE,
SOME OF THEM ARE EXTENDING
FURTHER ON LIKE THAT. AND IT
KIND OF DILUTES THE CALLER FALL
FOLIAGE HAS BEEN ARRIVING LATER
IN SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST
VIBRANT FALL COLOR HOTSPOTS,
INCLUDING WESTERN NORTH
CAROLINA.
>> I'VE NOTICED THAT SOME YEARS
THEY ARE JUST BRIGHTER THAN
OTHERS READ. MAY POLICE COLORS
ARRIVE MORE THAN A MONTH LATER
THAN THEY DID IN THE 19TH
CENTURY. ACCORDING TO A 2021
STUDY, THERE'S A LOT OF TREES
ANY LEAVES. IT ALL SEEMS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT TURN
EARLY AND WARMING ACROSS ALL
SEASONS IMPACTS THE TIMING
MAKING NEUFELD JOB OF
PREDICTING PEAK SEASON HARDER
EACH YEAR.
>> BUT FROM 2017 TO THE
PRESENT, IT'S ALL OVER THE
PLACE. SO THE VARIABILITY IN
THE TIMING IS GETTING
>> GREATER THAN IT WAS IN PAST
YEARS. THAT MAY BE INCIPIENT
CLIMATE CHANGE A MOVING TARGET
FOR RESEARCHERS WHO CAN SEE
FALL COLORS IN ANOTHER SPECTRUM
AS WITH EVERYTHING AND SCIENCE
IS NOT BLACK OR WHITE, IT'S
GRAY.
>> AND IT'S MORE COMPLICATED
THAN WE INITIALLY THOUGHT
PROTECTING THOSE TREASURED
TREES IS PERHAPS ANOTHER
INCENTIVE TO SPUR ACTION IN
THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE
CHANGE.
>> LIZ MCLAUGHLIN, WRAL, NEWS
>> LIKE A PAINTING FOR SURE.
OTHER CLIMATE FACTORS,
INCLUDING POLLUTION, RAIN OR