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Autumn color pops in Iowa amid growing drought
Orange and red are bursting into Iowa’s fall landscape, but colors may be muted by dry conditions
Oct. 8, 2024 5:30 am, Updated: Oct. 8, 2024 7:39 am
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As the calendar flipped to October, the colors of fall have crept into Iowa, with reds, oranges and yellows lining the state’s tree canopy.
But even with the autumn leaves in the landscape, the colors aren’t as vibrant as they could be.
“If we had a little more moisture, that would help with the vibrancy,” said Mark Vitosh, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources district forester for seven counties, including Linn and Johnson counties.
The vibrancy of fall foliage can be significantly influenced by the weather in the summer and early fall. One of the key factors is rainfall throughout the summer. Although Iowa has become increasingly dry in recent weeks, State Climatologist Justin Glisan said 2024 has been the 30th wettest year on record for the state, given the very wet spring and early summer.
According to last week’s U.S. Drought Monitor report, a majority of the state is classified as being “abnormally dry,” while about 20 percent — including Linn County — is experiencing “moderate” drought. A small portion of western Iowa is in “severe” drought.
Vitosh said he’s concerned with how a dry September will impact Iowa fall color, but “time will tell.”
When will fall colors peak in Iowa?
According to the DNR’s Iowa Fall Colors Weekly Report, which was updated Monday, peak fall color is expected in northeast Iowa late this week and through next week.
Peak color in central Iowa is expected a little later, Oct. 19-20 and beyond. According to the report, “It’s still early in the fall color season” for central Iowa. Maple trees are starting to turn red and orange, the report states, and walnuts, elms, hackberries and cottonwoods are turning yellow.
In Linn and Johnson counties specifically, the best fall color viewing times typically occur during the first through third weeks of October.
Southeast Iowa’s fall colors will peak Oct. 20 or later.
Vitosh said clear days and cool nights help boost red and purple colors because the cooler weather produce “anthocyanins,” pigments that result in red and purple hues in leaves, fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Vitosh added that those red and purple colors in the leaves could be “decent again” depending on the moisture they receive.
According to AccuWeather’s fall foliage forecast, Iowa will be one of a dozen states through the Great Lakes and Mississippi River valley with the most vibrant fall colors this year. AccuWeather also listed Minnesota, Kansas, Arkansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and parts of Texas and New York as places to see peak color.
Where are the best places to see fall colors in Eastern Iowa?
Some of the best places to see fall color are along rivers — like the Upper Iowa or Mississippi — or in Iowa’s state and county parks. Some of those locations in Eastern Iowa include:
- Pikes Peak State Park, 32264 Pikes Peak Rd., McGregor
- Yellow River State Forest, 729 State Forest Rd., Harpers Ferry
- Palisades-Kepler State Park, 700 Kepler Dr., Mount Vernon
- Lake Macbride State Park, 3525 Highway 382 NE, Solon
- Backbone State Park, 1347 129th St., Dundee
- Linn County’s Pinicon Ridge Park, 4729 Horseshoe Falls Rd., Central City
“There’s a lot of places in the northeast ... [that] have all kinds of natural areas where people can go see fall color,” Vitosh said.
Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com
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