Why leaves change colors during the fall

Fall leaves are breathtaking to look at. Learn why they change colors and what makes vibrant fall foliage possible.

Transcript

00:00 There is beauty in the breakdown of chlorophyll.

00:03 - That chlorophyll is a pigment

00:05 which causes the leaves to be green.

00:07 And when the leaves are green,

00:09 they're able to absorb the sunlight

00:11 and then convert that into sugars.

00:14 - This changes in the fall when temperatures begin to drop

00:17 and the sunlight becomes less direct.

00:20 - As the chlorophyll becomes less dominant,

00:23 then other pigments come into play.

00:26 - Those pigments vary depending on the molecules

00:29 of the leaves.

00:29 - Warm, bright, sunny days extend leaves life

00:32 while cool dights preserve soil moisture.

00:35 - When you have those conditions,

00:37 you're gonna see the progressive,

00:39 the natural progression of the trees turning colors

00:42 and you'll have the best colors.

00:44 - The longer the leaves stick around,

00:46 the healthier the tree will likely be next spring.

00:49 - That tree will then be able to survive the winter

00:53 and then we'll have that boost during the next spring.

00:57 - For AccuWeather, I'm Jeff Cornish.