Heavy Rains May Have Dulled Maryland's Usual Fall Foliage
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Usually this time of the year, the mountains of western Maryland would be ablaze with the colors of fall.
"Instead we're seeing a dull, bronze-gold cast to the whole ridge and a lot of bare spots," said Maryland forester Aaron Cook.
All this year's rain is a big reason.
"The wet weather, the warm weather, it seems to have delayed fall and brought about some issues with the trees. Some of them have dropped their leaves already, or they're still waiting for the trigger to turn," Cook said.
That trigger is less daylight and crisp, dry nights.
There is also widespread pathogens and fungus from the rain and humidity. The remnants of Hurricanes Florence and Michael also had an impact.
"With heavy rain and wind, and a lot of leaves, especially the leaves that were starting to succumb to those pathogens, came down. And some of that early color came down as well," Cook said.
A cold snap may yet trigger more color. But even a muted fall can still be beautiful in Maryland's mountains.
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