Description

Cool, crisp air is an undeniable sign of fall. Blend that with an array of leaves ablaze, tempting wines at harvest time and apple orchards galore, and travelers, residents and fishermen are ensured a treat that will lessen the sting of looming winter.

Why do the Leaves Change Colors in the Fall?
Basically, leaves change colors when trees stop producing the pigment chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color.

During the spring and summer months, a food-making process takes place in the leaf. The chlorophyll absorbs energy from sunlight and uses it in transforming carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates. Leaves also contain yellow or orange pigments, but these are masked most of the year by the greater amount of green coloring . In the fall, the decrease in intensity and shorter hours of sunlight and the changes in temperatures cause the leaves to stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears.