Super El Niño may delay Ontario fall colours
Ontario fall colours may peak later as El Niño brings warmer weather and slow change Check updated leaf reports to catch the best colour show as it moves south
A strong El Niño is expected to make Ontario’s fall weather warmer than usual, which could delay the peak colours by a few weeks in some areas. Experts say the leaf season should still arrive, but the progression may be slower than normal.
Biologists and climatologists say cooler nights are what trigger the brightest reds, oranges and yellows in the leaves. Warmer conditions can soften the colour display, although trees in Ontario have generally had enough rain this summer to stay healthy.
The fall colour change is already beginning in parts of the province, starting in the north and moving south toward Muskoka, central Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area. Algonquin Provincial Park is already reporting strong colour at the canopy level.