Fall Color Finder: How colorful is Minnesota’s foliage?

As October approaches, many Minnesotans will be planning trips around the state to see the colors of fall foliage.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s Fall Color Finder, much of the foliage in the Twin Cities is 10-25 percent of the way to peak colors.

Much of the foliage in northern Minnesota is 25-50 percent of the way to peak colors.

So far, foliage this year has been less colorful than it has in past years. On this day last year, much of the Twin Cities’ foliage was 25-50 percent of the way to peak colors, and on this day in 2020, much of the foliage in northern Minnesota had already peaked.

The color of the leaves could be in part to the drought Minnesota faced this year, but temperature and soil moisture also play a role in determining the color of a tree’s leaves.

Chemicals responsible for turning leaves yellow and orange are called carotenoids, which also turn carrots orange, the DNR said. Red and purple leaves are caused by anthocyanins, according to the department.

You can plan your fall color-viewing trip here. You can view the 2022 fall color photo gallery here.

KSTP has also compiled a Fall Guide to help you plan fun fall activities, stay informed on weather and more.