SPOKANE, Wash. — Now that fall is here, the beautiful fall colors won't be far away for Spokane and the Inland Northwest.
The shorter days have already caused a few trees to begin to change colors. A little red, at least partially, seems to be the color of choice for the leaves that are displaying the foliage early.
It's not unusual at all to see trees start to change colors in mid-September. In fact, we're already a week away from the normal foliage peak for North Idaho.
In Spokane, the peak fall colors are normally around early to mid-October. Reds dominate the most vibrant colors but are mixed with the evergreen trees that are abundant across Washington.
Factors that lead to bright foliage are sunny days and cool nights. The sunshine keeps the leaves producing sugar to maintain their bright colors, even with the diminishing daylight, and the cool nights are a signal to the trees to start to slow down and ready themselves for the winter time.
A non-drought helps too. While ample soil moisture is preferred, the Inland Northwest summers are often very dry, so as long as we're not in a drought, there'll be enough moisture to keep the colors bright for the upcoming foliage.