Breaking News
Local News

Looking for fall colors?

High winds, heat takes color out of southwest Minnesota landscape

By Deb Gau 4 min read

MARSHALL -- Fall colors are peaking a little earlier in Minnesota this year. However, a lot of leaves are already gone in parts of southwest Minnesota, thanks to windy conditions over the weekend.

"Those high winds knocked a lot of the colors off the trees," said Adam Kurtz, manager at Camden State Park.

Kurtz said there are still pockets of colorful trees and plants in the park, but for the most part autumn leaves were past their peak this week.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fall Color Finder map said this fall leaves are projected to peak earlier than previous years. Leaf peaks refers to the point when 75-100% of trees in a designated area have changed to their fall colors.

In Yellow Medicine, Lincoln, Lyon and Murray counties, fall colors are projected to be past their peak by Oct. 20. That's about a week earlier than last year, according to interactive maps on the DNR website.

The rapid leaf changes could be due to dry conditions in Minnesota. National Weather Service Twin Cities Meteorologist Joe Calderone said that most of the state has been in a drought for most of the year.

“If you combine [the drought] with the extra heat, it doesn’t allow the trees to hold onto the moisture,” Calderone said.

Once trees begin to lose their moisture, chlorophyll begins to break down, which results in leaves losing their green color. This typically begins in early September.

Parks workers in southwest Minnesota said this week that they were anticipating the possibility of a less colorful fall this year due to dry conditions.

"When it was dry, we didn't know if we were going to lose leaves faster," said Lyon County parks programming coordinator Brooke Kor. However, a period of rain earlier in the season seemed to help revive trees and plants, she said.

"We did have some really good yellows going on" at Camden Park, Kurtz said. However, high winds over the weekend blew away some of the fall leaves.

Trees at Lake Shetek State Park lost a lot of leaves over the weekend as well, said office administrator Ashley Odegaard.

"We've still got some pretty good colors. There are ash and oak trees that provide us our yellows and browns," she said.

Odegaard said Lake Shetek State Park also has areas of prairie, which can provide a different source of fall color. Grass stems change from green to shades of brown or reddish colors. Bluestem grasses also provide some bluish or grey shades, she said.

At Garvin Park in Lyon County, fall colors are likely at their peak, Kor said.

"We have a lot of ash trees, which brings in yellows," she said.

At areas like the park's main playground and picnic area, trees like maples are just starting to pop with red fall leaves, she said.

Kor said Garvin Park still tends to be busy with campers and horse riders, even in the fall.

While southwest Minnesota parks might not be thought of as a destination for fall foliage viewing, Kurtz, Odegaard and Kor said there are still visitors who take an interest in local fall colors. It's especially popular for photography and portrait sessions, they said.

There are still opportunities for area residents to get outside and enjoy autumn this weekend. On Saturday afternoon, the Friends of Lake Shetek State Park will hold their 20th annual fall pumpkin festival at the park, Odegaard said. From 1-3:30 p.m., visitors can enjoy activities like pumpkin decorating, hay rides and jumping in a large leaf pile.

Other events are planned in the evenings at area parks. Kurtz said there will be a stargazing session with meteorologist Mike Lynch at Camden State Park on Saturday. The event starts at 6 p.m. At Garvin Park, the annual Halloween Trail event will be open on Friday and Saturday from 5-8 p.m. Families can enjoy walking the spooky trail, and visiting the Lingen Dairy food truck. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

-- Dylan Jackson contributed to this story.

Starting at /week.