Experts Say Climate Change Has Moved Minnesota’s Fall Colors Two Weeks

We are wrapping up another year of fall colors in Minnesota. It's bittersweet to see the vibrant colors in Minnesota's landscape. The beauty signifies the end of summer, the transition to fall, and the sudden winter that sets in. Winter always seems to come in a hurry, but compared to decades ago, it's coming later.

Climate experts say that Minnesota's fall colors are happening later in the year, by an astonishing two weeks. Fall colors used to peak in late September in the 1960s; now they are peaking in early to mid-October. They say the colors aren't any less vibrant because of climate change, just happening later as our fall and spring seasons extend with warmer average temperatures.

Get our free mobile app

Fall colors can vary greatly from year to year because of seasonal droughts and short-term weather patterns. But as a whole, the fall colors are later than they were 60 years ago.

Read More: Experts Share What Deer Hunters Can Expect This Year In Minnesota

Climate change in Minnesota is affecting winter, too. It's estimated that in the last 50 years, Minnesota has lost an average of 10 to 14 days of ice cover. Lakes are freezing over later in December and thawing earlier in March.

Experts also say the warming temperatures are affecting Minnesota's lakes. We're seeing more algae blooms. Different warm water species of fish are thriving like bass, while cold water species like trout are suffering in some areas.

We're also seeing fewer extreme cold winter days than we did 50 years ago. The DNR says the warming temperatures are also leading to more frequent extreme precipitation. The DNR says Minnesota has warmed by 3 degrees over the last 100 years, with the most dramatic changes happening in the last several decades.