COLUMBIA, S.C. — Cooler temperatures have arrived early this year and you may be wondering when the best fall colors will arrive in South Carolina as well. The good news is, our weather setup this summer is expected to lead to more vibrant fall colors in the next few weeks.
According to Dr. Kirt Moody, an Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science at Columbia College, we could be in store for a bright and colorful fall. This is in part due to the abundant rainfall we have seen the past year and the lack of any drought this summer.
"I would say because of the water and because of what looks like the temperatures will stay cool through October, but not end up in any kind of frost or anything like that, I think it should be pretty great," Moody tells News 19.
While some trees are already showing some early colors, peak foliage is expected near the end of October in the Upstate. Here in the Midlands, peak fall foliage is forecast near the first week of November. For those in the Low Country, any trees that change color will likely peak after November 9th.
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The leaves on trees change colors during a chemical reaction as the trees prepare for winter. Trees begin to absorb the chlorophyll in their leaves, which gives them their green pigment.
"Those reds and yellows and oranges are there all the time... it's just that the green overpowers them," Moody told News 19. "So, when the chlorophyll gets taken back by the trees, that is what we're left with."
We will have to watch for temperatures that get too cold or high wind events, especially for the Upstate, which could diminish any colors or the length that they remain.