Fall foliage in Minnesota

Minnesota runs north to south, and the northern forest changes quickly. The Boundary Waters, Ely, Voyageurs and Itasca lead in the first week of October; the North Shore and the Superior highlands follow through mid-month; the Twin Cities and the Mississippi bluffs near Frontenac close the season in the third week. Aspen and birch make the northern forest gold with maple for the red; oaks and maples carry the south. Along Lake Superior the color holds a little later than inland.

Those are the months when color is present somewhere in Minnesota, from its highest ground to its lowest. Any one location changes over a much shorter period than that.

Why the timing shifts from year to year

Shortening days start the process, so most places in Minnesota change at close to their usual time each year. Within the state, elevation and latitude account for most of the difference: higher and more northern ground generally changes first, and lower, sheltered ground last. Weather has more effect on how strong the color is than on when it appears. Cool nights and sunny days favor the reds, a dry summer mutes them, and a hard freeze or a windstorm can strip a slope in a day. What determines the timing goes through this in detail.

Nearby states

Fall color does not follow state lines. Minnesota borders:

• Iowa fall foliage
• North Dakota fall foliage
• South Dakota fall foliage
• Wisconsin fall foliage

Timing for a specific place

This page describes a whole state, which is about as precise as a season can be described in words. Conditions at one overlook on one weekend are a narrower question, and that is the one Fallcast answers: an expected period of color for a specific location, with a confidence attached, updated through the season as the trees change. It is coming to iPhone this fall.

Questions, or somewhere in Minnesota you would like covered? Write to fallcastapp@gmail.com.