The month has been seasonally beautiful, but it's also been a dry one. "The entire year (2022), thanks to some earlier months, has been above normal in precipitation," says Larry Weber. "As of yesterday... we’re now below normal." Despite the dryness, the area is still above normal for monthly snowfall. Even if there's no more snow in the next ten days, we’ll still end up above average for October.
Windy days have brought down the leaves on deciduous trees in some areas and this puts us on the cusp of a new phase in phenology. The next phase is what Weber calls “AutWin” – the time of bare trees and bare grounds. “We can see so much more in the woods than we could while the leaves are on the trees," says Weber, "and it just beckons to get out and take a walk."
And if the falling leaves leave you longing, the tamaracks and other conifers will fill in the void left by deciduous trees as they begin to fade from green to yellow. Look to the swamps for these stunning sights.
