{"id":3872,"date":"2026-08-18T18:06:04","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T18:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3872"},"modified":"2026-08-18T18:06:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T18:06:04","slug":"when-will-colorados-leaves-turn-gold-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3872","title":{"rendered":"When will Colorado\u2019s leaves turn gold this fall?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The effects of drought will be evident this fall when Colorado\u2019s leaf-peeping season arrives early with a color change that is less vibrant than in years with normal or above-average levels of precipitation.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen water is in short supply, trees shut down and prepare for the winter season on an accelerated timeline,\u201d said Barbara Demmig-Adams, a University of Colorado professor and an expert on leaf pigments. \u201cThey drop their leaves early, with leaf edges turning brown especially quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experts at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife department who monitor foliage that wildlife eat are already seeing this happen, said spokesperson Bridget O\u2019Rourke.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the wildfires and the drought, animals are dealing with limited habitat. Things just started drying up,\u201d O\u2019Rourke said. \u201cThat means the leaves, when it comes for their final beautiful breath before they die, there\u2019s not as many leaves out there that are actually going to be changing colors. They\u2019re just going to be drying up and falling.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Rourke said she expects trees in Colorado\u2019s alpine terrain to start changing by mid-September and be completely done by mid-October, depending on the region. When the aspens hit peak, they will be bright gold for a shorter period of time, she said.<\/p>\n

In the summer, trees\u2019 leaves are green because of the chlorophyll they use to collect and process nutrients via photosynthesis. Chlorophyll contains nitrogen, which trees transfer and store in their roots in the fall before dropping their leaves. The removal of chlorophyll allows carotenoid, or yellow, pigments to show right before the leaves die, said Demmig-Adams.<\/p>\n

Last winter\u2019s record-low snowpack and the subsequent drought will hasten that process not only at high elevations, but also lower ones, Demmig-Adams added. That includes in Denver where the oaks and maples usually turn later in the fall.<\/p>\n

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Fall colors: Here\u2019s the science behind the reds, golds and oranges<\/p>\n

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