New Brunswick's Fall Color Forecast: The Full Spectrum!
New Brunswick’s Fall color forecast is bound to be amazing...it always is!
A Fall color forecast is a popular report as autumn arrives in New Brunswick. Our vibrant array of fall colors are a popular tourist attraction in the province. This transition can take a few weeks to complete, with the typical best colors in the weeks surrounding the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Many areas of Canada and the United States have some autumn colors to show the changing seasons, but not all are as colorful as New Brunswick. Have you ever wondered why that is?
Since New Brunswick has an abundant variety of hardwood trees, it is no surprise that we have some of the most vibrant fall colors in Canada. Our sugar maples, already famous for the delicious maple syrup they produce in the spring, are the same trees responsible for some of the beautiful range of autumn colors. New Brunswick's Acadian forest of has a variety of plant species that provide a brilliant spectrum of greens, reds, oranges, and yellows also. Fortunately, New Brunswick contains the greatest amount of Acadian forest in the Maritimes, distinguishing it as the ultimate autumn destination. Most of New Brunswick’s forest area is considered Acadian Forest, which consists of tree growth from two hundred to eight hundred years old.
A New Brunswick fall color forecast can be very difficult to predict. Why?
The fall colors are very dependant on current weather. The factor that starts the entire process is a lack of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the chemical inside a leaf that interacts with sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to make food for the plant to grow. In the spring and summer there is plenty of chlorophyll to go around due to warm temperatures, giving trees their lovely green colors.
In the autumn, when the amount of daylight is shorter and the temperatures cool down (especially at night), the amount of chlorophyll diminishes, which slows food production. Along with chlorophyll a tree contains two more chemicals; carotenoids and anthocyanins. Since the chemical chlorophyll is dominant, it is only when it diminishes in autumn do the other two chemicals have a chance to show themselves. The chemical cartenoid is responsible for the yellow and orange coloring on leaves but the bright reds and purples are directly related to the amount of anthocyanin present in the leaf. The presence of anthocyanin can vary depending on amounts of sunlight the early Autumn weather brings. Warm sunny days followed by dry cool nights near the freezing point, guarantee vibrant colors across the province as usual. As the colors fade and food production slows and eventually stops, the leaves detach themselves from the tree and fall to the ground. This covering of leaves along with a blanket of snow will protect the small plants underneath from the harsh cold winter the is sure to follow! New Brunswick’s fall color forecast can change quite quickly. Check the Current Fall Color Forecast often for updated reports. Keep in mind that this site information is only accessible in season.
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