Growing Drought Causing Trees To Drop Leaves; Portends A Poor Foliage Display

With little rain in the long-term weather forecast, a worsening drought in much of the Northeast portends trouble for Pennsylvania’s vaunted fall foliage display, according to a Penn State forest expert. At least in parts of the state.

“The drought is fairly extensive throughout the Northeast, but not in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New York,” said Marc Abrams, professor of forest ecology and physiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “If this continues, there will be continued early coloration of trees, browning and leaf fall.”

Abrams – who for nearly four decades has s...