Fall foliage peaks around Dallas-Fort Worth
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Driving around North Texas, you have probably seen it.
Gorgeous fall foliage is taking over the metroplex, but it wasn't exactly a sight many were expecting.
Earlier this fall, the Texas A&M Forest Service predicted this year DFW would see muted fall colors due to the struggling effects of drought, but that's certainly not the case.
So what happened?
Brett Johnson, an urban biologist for the City of Dallas says it took a certain combination of factors to create the blanket of colors.
"The last week or so we have just had some spectacular colors being seen in our trees," Johnson said. "The moisture in the air, light and temperature. It all comes into play in the biochemistry of the trees and if it all adds up right, we get a gorgeous display of colors."
He says it all comes down to science and a chemical compound enhanced mostly by rain...something we got a lot of towards the end of the summer.
The average rainfall for the month of August in DFW is 2.18 inches. This August, we saw 10.68 inches.
In fact, according to the National Weather Service, it was our wettest August on record.
It's what Johnson said, led to the vibrancy.
"The thing that's really unique this year is the reds, purples and blue hues," Johnson said. "This fall we are seeing things that typically we would see in New England."
But a warning, he says enjoy it now. Because winter will soon steal our beauty.
"Get out there in the next week or so and enjoy it."