This year, the poplar trees in Colorado have turned yellow about three weeks early.
Visitors to the US state of Colorado usually wait until the end of September to see the poplar leaves change color when autumn comes. This year, at several high peaks, the foliage has turned color earlier.
Haley Balentine, a staff at the Crested Butte Visitor Center, said visitors may be surprised when they have to change their holiday schedule.
By the end of August, Balentine was surprised to see the change of nature at Kebler Pass, a stop for photographers on their way to Crested Butte. The colors of the Golden Monarch range from the Monarch Pass to the Kenosha Pass, appearing in the spectacular Front Range Mountains series posted on social networks.
Balentine also shared that even though she had lived in Colorado for many years, she had never seen knock knockout so early. "It's definitely three weeks earlier," she said.
Little surprise at the event was Dan West, an entomologist who worked in Fort Collins, Colorado. "Dry weather affects the color of autumn leaves," he said.
Shorter days and cooler nights change the leaves of poplars, causing chlorophyll to go away. Moisture is also a factor in this process. Lack of moisture causes trees to wither, leaves turn yellow and fall out sooner.
Another agent is the sun. "Summer drought usually brings in vibrant colors in the fall," said Kyle Patterson, a spokeswoman for Rocky Mountain National Park. She also said that cold weather last week could lead to a change in the color that visitors are seeing.
With so many weather statistics collected by Dan West throughout Colorado, he thinks that this only happens in a few places. So, do visitors see the colors of the early fall or not depending entirely on where they are headed.
This phenomenon provides an abundant source of income for mountain towns as more and more tourists arrive. "We have received calls from the beginning of summer asking visitors about the fall colors," said Heidi Pankow of the Ouray Visitor Center.
According to Pankow, visitors have plenty of places to admire the scenery, from the middle of the forest surrounding the town, the Red Moutain Pass winding between golden leaves, to the paths covered by poplar trees through the tops. San Juan Mountains.
Cal Orlowski, an entertainment expert at Salida Ranger, said that at least two more weeks were yet to come.
April Kali, of the Chamber of Commerce and Buena Vista Visitor Center, said she saw autumn colors while driving. She hopes the best time to look at the beautiful autumn scene is the same as every other year, around the end of September. Since there are so many people in the country scheduled to come here, changing the schedule due to fall soon comes. Can cause a lot of trouble for visitors.
Photo: Uncover Colorado
