Early Signs of What’s to Come

Color spotters in California are beginning to send in sightings of the first signs of seasonal color change.

In the Mammoth Lakes area, Angie Plaisted reported on August 24, 2023 that a few leaves around Convict Lake were getting an early start on showing off their fall colors.

Color spotter Samantha Lindberg also checked out Convict Lake on August 28 and claimed, “we are just starting to get a teaser of what is yet to come, Convict Lake has some yellow on the tops of the tress and some fallen leaves. Also, the rabbitbrush is making its appearance!”

Rabbitbrush appears as summer begins to fade and blooms into fall.

Color spotter (and former californiafallcolor.com editor) John Poimiroo reported on August 25 that signs in Tahoe at 6,224′ were pointing to an early winter in the High Sierra.

“Oak trees are full of acorns and dropping them rapidly,” Poimiroo said. “Chickaree (Douglas Squirrels) and Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels (often mistaken as chipmunks) are frantically gathering black oak acorns and other nuts. One local said she had never seen them so active.”

US Forest Service Botanist Blake Engelhardt also weighed in with some thoughts.

“I’m optimistic that with the lingering snowpack this season and the moist soils from spring rains, we are primed for some good fall colors,” she said.

The Farmer’s Almanac is calling for another big winter and Engelhardt reinforced that it could quickly change what we see out there this year.

“Foliage season is always difficult to predict in terms of length, as unexpected frosts can cause leaves to drop quickly.”

This year the first day of fall is September 22 at 11:49 pm, so start your preparations for scenic drives and sweater weather.