Anyone hoping for a showy autumn canopy in North Texas may want to lower expectations. The latest Farmers' Almanac forecast calls for spotty, poor color changes across the region this fall, the Fort Worth Report reported Wednesday.
The reason is the summer. North Texas went 67 straight days without measurable rain, the region's second-longest dry streak on record, according to the National Weather Service. Tarrant County has been in extreme drought since mid-September after roughly two months of dry conditions, the Report said, and last week's rain was the first time since July that temperatures in the region dropped below 90 degrees.
Why drought dulls the leaves
The Texas A&M Forest Service says temperature, light and water together drive the color change in leaves, and enough moisture helps colors form. Heat and dry soil stress trees, so leaves are more likely to turn brown, fade or drop early instead of turning red and gold.
The almanac also notes that Texas tends to have shorter cold spells than places farther north, which makes fall color less dependable here in any year.
There is some room for a better outcome. The weather service puts North Texas at a 50% chance of above-average rain through December, which would add moisture. Even in a dry year, the almanac says, the best odds for color are close to rivers, lakes and other water.
