By: Madison Rosenberg
Climate change can affect New Jersey’s fall foliage, potentially influencing how long the green leaves of summer remain on trees into the later fall months. While the northern region of New Jersey has bright reds, yellows, and oranges accentuating its forests, South Jersey typically experiences its peak fall colors later, sometimes not until almost November.
Factors like temperature, water levels, and weather events affect how quickly leaves change color and how vibrant they are.
New Jersey and the Northeast in general are no stranger to beautiful autumn colors as the leaves begin their transition. Typically, lower temperatures and shorter days slow down the chlorophyll production process, according to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. According to the foundation, chlorophyll takes a significant amount of energy to produce. These conditions slow the process of creating chlorophyll, which allows other colors to emerge as the green pigment of chlorophyll fades. Yellow and orange pigments are already present in the leaves, while red and purple pigments are produced in some leaves during autumn.
Trees use cues from nature, such as shorter days and cooling temperatures, to “know” when to slow the production of chlorophyll, according to an article by the National Park Service. When temperatures are increased, especially at nighttime, trees take longer to start this process. This can cause the peak of fall foliage to be later and shorter.
In addition to leaf colors changing later in the fall, forecasts suggest that drought conditions could contribute to duller colors during peak changes. Due to rain deficits that lasted over two years and a severe drought that heavily impacted New Jersey, the leaves in southern New Jersey may experience reduced vibrancy. However, forecasts do not establish that South Jersey’s foliage will necessarily be less colorful than that of central or northern New Jersey.
As of October 1, the state was lifted out of a drought warning, but South Jersey remained under drought watch in all Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties. Portions of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem Counties also remained under a drought watch.
According to AccuWeather, “Farther east, drought has taken a toll on trees across parts of the mid-Atlantic and Carolinas. Recent rainfall may provide some benefit, but some trees have already experienced significant stress, increasing the risk of brittle leaves and duller colors.”
AccuWeather’s September to November foliage forecast map accompanies its forecast of varying foliage conditions across the country, including the potential for duller colors in drought-affected areas of the Mid-Atlantic. The Old Farmer’s Almanac foliage forecast map predicts that only some parts of South Jersey will experience peak colors, starting in late October and ending between mid- and late November. The New Jersey Forest Service foliage map shows that as of October 23, South Jersey was reaching the “mid point” of fall foliage conditions.
Increasing temperatures have a lasting effect on when leaves change color as well as simply adding stress to trees. Climate Central states, “Cool nights and bright, sunny days can enhance vivid color displays, which favor a 9°F to 12°F difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. But the cool nights that help create colorful leaves are becoming less common.”
The article also states that nighttime fall temperatures have risen by an average of 2.7°F in 212 of 243 examined U.S. locations between 1970 and 2023. In addition to warmer nights, extreme heat in the daytime can cause leaves to shrivel up and fall off the branch before other colors have a chance to show.
These long-established climate trends can affect the health and appearance of fall foliage over time, although their specific impact on South Jersey’s foliage this year has not been independently established. Climate events that cause damage on top of a warming environment can also be disruptive to normal fall foliage processes.
Drought conditions during earlier seasons can cause trees to shed their leaves before they have changed color, resulting in less vibrancy and fewer opportunities for people to view the autumnal changes. According to the National Environmental Education Foundation, “Drought stressors during the growing season, such as decreased forest productivity and increased insects and diseases, can trigger leaves to drop prematurely before they develop fall coloration.”
On the other hand, extreme weather such as rainstorms or hurricanes can knock leaves off branches and put stress on a tree’s overall health. In September, New Jersey experienced fierce thunderstorms. The storm in the beginning of September was aggressive and struck down trees and damaged property. In late September, the state faced a coastal nor’easter that caused extreme flooding. The sudden onset and intensity of the storms provided some drought relief but may have had other adverse effects on nature.
An article published by the National Park Service states, “…excessive rainfall, especially during the weeks leading up to fall, can also stress trees. This can lead to a reduction in the pigments responsible for vibrant colors. Heavy rains promote the growth of fungi and diseases, which leach away nutrients in the soil. With less soil nutrients, a tree’s overall health and ability to produce colorful leaves decreases.”
Although a direct connection between these storms and the health of South Jersey’s fall foliage this year has not been established, severe weather is among the factors that can affect the timing and appearance of autumn leaves.
New Jerseyans still have opportunities to witness the beautiful colors in the state. According to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, South Jersey has some great spots to view the changing leaves. Wharton State Forest spans 124,000 acres and has several hiking trails and rivers where residents can enjoy the views. Belleplain State Forest contains more than 40 miles of trails for South Jerseyans to explore and see peak autumn colors.
Despite the factors that can influence the timing and vibrancy of fall foliage, South Jersey residents still have plenty of opportunities to see the beautiful autumn colors they’ve all been waiting for.
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This article was produced as part of Follow South Jersey’s student journalism program, which provides aspiring journalists with practical experience in professional news reporting and writing.
