A View of the changing leaves- Frontenac State Park (Courtesy Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)
With the arrival of the Fall Season, Minnesota's autumn leaves are just weeks away from gracing us with the brilliant colors that draws thousands of Minnesotans and out-of-state tourists to our state.
According to the MN DNR, as of September 10th, the state was already seeing some areas of colorful leaves at 10-25% of peak, primarily in northern Minnesota. Typically, top peak color is seen in Northern Minnesota mid-September into early October, with Central and Southern Minnesota seeing peak from late September into early October.
These fall colors are caused by chemical compounds in the leaves, which are revealed from behind the mask of chlorophyll- a compound that gives leaves their green color throughout the year, until it breaks down as nitrogen is placed into storage for the winter.