Fall colors slowly showing across the St. Joseph area
With only about a week left in October, fall foliage across Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas is slowly making its transition — but recent weather patterns may be dulling the season’s color.
Sunny days and cool nights are ideal for producing vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. However, when temperatures drop too low, frost can damage leaf cells, leading to muted color and early leaf drop.
On Wednesday morning, Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph briefly hit the freezing mark at 32 degrees, signaling one of the coldest mornings so far this season. Temperatures once again bottomed out near freezing Thursday morning, at least in the river valley where Rosecrans Airport is located.
These chilly starts could limit how bright and long-lasting local fall colors will be in some areas. With that being said, frost was limited during this week’s cooler mornings, as many locations never made it below freezing. A hard freeze would make leaf damage more likely- something yet to take place locally this season.
Earlier this month, temperatures ran well above average, with some days nearing 90 degrees. Those unseasonably warm conditions — combined with a drier weather pattern — have worsened drought conditions in parts of the area, especially south of U.S. Highway 36.
So far this month, St. Joseph has received 1.6 inches of rain. The average total for the month as a whole is 2.8 inches.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows portions of southeast Buchanan County now in severe drought (D2), while surrounding areas remain abnormally dry to moderately dry. Meanwhile, Holt and Atchison counties are completely drought-free.
Prolonged drought can stress trees and reduce the intensity of fall color, often resulting in more brown leaves instead of the deep reds and golds that typically define autumn.
Strong winds can also take a toll on the longevity of fall color. Gusty conditions earlier this week stripped some trees of their leaves before they had fully changed, leaving branches bare and shortening the foliage window. On the flip side, healthier deciduous trees remain largely intact, preserving their potential for color change over the coming weeks.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, fall color is currently “in progress” across Northwest Missouri and continues to develop. However, due to the recent combination of warmth, dryness and frost, some areas may see less intense color than usual this year.
One local hot spot for fall views is Route T north of St. Joseph, near the scenic Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge — where trees along the river valley will soon be showing some of the season’s best color.
As we wrap up the final days of October, now is a great time to get outside, take in the scenery and enjoy the developing canopy of color — even if this year’s display is a little less vibrant than usual.
