The weather across the country(and probably the world) continues to be unusual. We're basking in some needed rain here in the Pacific Northwest but we're due for some mid to upper 80s this week and no frosts in sight. I suspect we won't have the majority of leaves changing over until late October and then dropping in November.

I recall hearing once that rainy summers/falls cause early and not as pronounced coloration. So far at home in the Cleveland area there is no color and it is dry in that we are about 3-4 inches of rain below average with only .12 so far in September. I will be in Canada next week so I will report what its like a bit further north. :)

In west central Ohio the lvs. started coloring and falling nearly 2 weeks ago, just after labor day. My Hickory's are almost completely yellow and the Oaks started coloring up noticeably earlier this week. My big Sycamore has started dropping in late July, but it has done that the last couple of years since we have been having such dry summers.

The Cicada's also started howling in late June/very Early July, which I had always heard was 6 or 8 weeks until fall. Since June 1st we have had 6.9 inches of rain, and 1.3 of it came on June 1st (5.6 inches since June 2) In Sept. we have only had 3/10th of an inch.

I think the trees are going into protection/conservation mode and dropping their lvs. in an effort to save/store water and energy. Now we have been very fortunate as it hasn't been very hot. In the same time frame we have had an average temp of 80 degrees. I have been planting some stuff in the last week in a bed that hasn't seen a sprinkler more than 3 or 4 times since Junes, but is heavily mulched and nice and moist, right up to the surface.

Considering the weather all year, I am anticipating an early, though mild fall and another long cold winter. Really makes me wish Global Warming was happening.

Those are my observations and thoughts.

Eliot

There is a European weather prognostication-I forget the exact name-which has been more accurate than most, calling for a very cold winter in the N. U.S. Where I live, in E. Central WI, the jet stream has pretty much stayed to our south all summer. On the one hand, this has resulted in nice (For me) cool temps. most of the time, but on the other hand, terrible drought excepting the southern part of the state. Here in the Green Bay area (I live in Appleton, thirty miles south) there has been NO rain yet in Sept. I'm afeared that our winter will be cold and dry, a combination that I don't much care for. I don't mind the cold as long as there's plentiful snow, but that same European model shows all the big action happening to our east. BOO!

+oM