CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — This year’s drought is having an impact on trees this year and will most certainly make a difference in what leaves look like through this fall.
According to state climatologist Trent Ford, the drought is to blame for leaves starting to fall from trees already.
“Drought conditions have definitely affected trees really since the spring. I had some colleagues at the Morton Arboretum who reported all around the Chicago area trees were forming smaller leaves as a result of the drought,” Ford told WBBM Newsradio.
In most of the Chicago area, he said we’re more likely to see different shades of brown colored leaves than the reds, yellows and oranges that brighten autumn.
“There will still be some but certainly—typically, when we have drought that either develops in the late summer, carries into fall or develops in the fall and those trees are stressed, they won’t have that brilliant color,” he said.
Ford said the drought has been just as bad in southern Wisconsin but not as bad in central and southern Illinois. He suggested people in search of great leaf colors this fall plan a trip to those parts of the state.
Ford said that if the drought conditions continue into next year, the Chicago area could see more trees dying. He said people should hope for some of those all-day drizzles in November and enough snow that slowly melts to re-charge the soil.
He said rainfall amounts have been about 90% of normal in the southern metro area, about 80% of normal in the core Chicago area, and about 70% of normal in Lake, McHenry, Boone and Winnebago counties.
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