Rainy days and Thursdays…

It’s a rainy day, which means a good day to read, watch a movie or take a nap—perhaps a bit of all three! And it’s always a good day—rain or shine—to cuddle with our cats, Holly and Oliver. 

One of the ways I look at a rainy day is if we have a wet spring, the fall colors will be more vibrant. I never realized how weather that early in the year could affect fall color. This is exactly what occurred last year: we had a very wet spring and the colors around here were the best I had ever seen—it was definitely a breathtaking show! My husband and I got out every moment we could by taking country drives. I took tons of photos but it was difficult to capture the beauty of God’s creation. I found the following article which explains how weather affects fall color: 

“How does weather affect autumn color?

The amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season are related to weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and moisture are the main influences. 

A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays. During these days, lots of sugars are produced in the leaf but the cool nights and the gradual closing of veins going into the leaf prevent these sugars from moving out. These conditions – lots of sugar and light – spur production of the brilliant anthocyanin pigments, which tint reds, purples, and crimson. Because carotenoids are always present in leaves, the yellow and gold colors remain fairly constant from year to year.

The amount of moisture in the soil also affects autumn colors. Like the weather, soil moisture varies greatly from year to year. The countless combinations of these two highly variable factors assure that no two autumns can be exactly alike. A late spring, or a severe summer drought, can delay the onset of fall color by a few weeks. A warm period during fall will also lower the intensity of autumn colors. A warm wet spring, favorable summer weather, and warm sunny fall days with cool nights should produce the most brilliant autumn colors.”