Fall Leaves: Delayed By Climate Change?

Is the annual turning of fall leaves into brilliant colors being delayed by climate change?

That's the theory of some scientists given the record temperatures in the U.S. this year, which will likely mean colors changing later, exaggerating an ongoing trend.

Studies in Europe and Japan have indicated that leaves are both changing color and 

dropping later, and areas of the United States are beginning to show similar signs.

Accuweather (dot) com's Valerie Smock explains that when leaves turn from green to shades of yellow, orange and red, it's only only because of the temperature, but daylight.

The production of chlorophyll, the green pigment in leaves, slows down during the fall, when the days get shorter, revealing other color pigments normally hidden from view.

However, "If autumn days are cool, trees quicken the change. If autumn days are warm, trees delay the change. So overall, global warming could delay leaves from turning."

In short, maybe push back that trip to Vermont by a week or two. Or if you're a climate change denier, rip the liberal media for distorting the facts to foster its own agenda.