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<p>Warm, wet weather that plagued the area for most of the summer and into the fall &#8212; and the resulting soggy conditions &#8212; could result in a later, more subdued foliage display.</p><p>But those hoping to see a burst of color on the trees in Northeastern Pennsylvania may not be out of luck.</p><p>Vinnie Cotrone, an urban forester with the Penn State Cooperation Extension office in West Pittston, said the peak of the foliage typically occurs later in the area because most of the tree are oaks. The species that go into dormancy earlier, such as the sugar maples that are predominant to the north, will display vibrant color earlier in the season.</p><p>Cotrone said even though the weather hasn&#8217;t been great for producing vibrant fall foliage, there is still a chance for a decent display.</p><p>&#8220;The weather could change, and if we have cool nights and sunny days we&#8217;ll get good color,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Still, the early prediction for most of the state called for a late, muted foliage display.</p><p>For three decades, Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology at the Penn State&#8217;s College of Agricultural Sciences, has studied how seasonal precipitation and temperature influence timing and intensity of fall colors in central Pennsylvania.</p><p>&#8220;We believe that clear, bright days, low but not freezing temperatures, and dry but not drought conditions promote the best fall colors,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Cooler temperatures signal deciduous trees to stop producing chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis, he explained. The chlorophyll breaks down and disappears, unmasking other leaf pigments. These other pigments &#8212; called xanthophylls and carotenes &#8212; are what create the yellows and oranges seen in the leaves of yellow poplar, hickory, sycamore, honey locust, birch, beech and certain maples.</p><p>Without periods of cool, dry conditions, leaf coloration could be late this fall.</p><p>Some trees were already without leaves before the color transformation even began.</p><p>According to Cotrone, the extremely wet weather caused some trees to drop their leaves early due to fungal problems arising from all the moisture.</p><p>&#8220;Leaves don&#8217;t want to stay wet for days upon days,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Moisture is good for the roots, but not on the leaves for days. The tree is going dormant and shutting down.&#8221;</p><p>Another anomaly that has been occurring in recent years, according to Cotrone, centers around trees going into dormancy later in the year. As the climate continues to get warmer the growing season is prolonged, he said, and dormancy and fall foliage occurs later.</p><p>&#8220;Dormancy is based on day length and temperature. If it occurs later that can be a challenge,&#8221; Cotrone said. &#8220;You like to see a tree drop its leaves before an early, wet snow hits. If not, the weight of that snow on the leaves can cause branches to break.&#8221;</p><p>When it comes to color, other areas of the country may fare better than the northeast. The foliage outlook is a bit better for the Great Lakes and Adirondack regions, Abrams noted, because although they received above-average amounts of precipitation, they were spared the exceptionally high amount of rainfall other regions received.</p><p>Still, Cotrone advised remaining patient when it comes to the local fall foliage display.</p><p>&#8220;If we have a dry spell and cool nights, we&#8217;ll start to get some good color,&#8221; he said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The colors of fall may be later this year, and a bit less vibrant, due to the warm, wet conditions that existed for most of the summer. Cool, dry weather with plenty of sun is the ideal recipe for vivid fall color. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_foliage2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>The colors of fall may be later this year, and a bit less vibrant, due to the warm, wet conditions that existed for most of the summer. Cool, dry weather with plenty of sun is the ideal recipe for vivid fall color. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_foliage1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Maple trees, such as this one at Frances Slocum State Park, enter dormancy earlier than other species and typically display fall colors earlier. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_foliage1-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Maple trees, such as this one at Frances Slocum State Park, enter dormancy earlier than other species and typically display fall colors earlier. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Warm, wet weather may result in a delayed, less vibrant foliage season</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Fall foliage display may be later this year