Jed's Weather Blog: Fall Is Here! - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

Fall officially begins Saturday at 9:49 a.m. We are distancing ourselves from the extreme, record-breaking heat of August and heading into the more tranquil temperatures of October.

One favorite pastime this time of year is to travel to some of our state's best destinations to see the colors change. One big question is how will this exceptional drought affect the color of the trees? Some trees have gone dormant and are browning. I noticed this recently during a trip to Grand Lake in northeast Oklahoma. Most trees that I saw, though, are not this way.

From the research I've done on this, we need rainfall now. Most trees are strained and this will help the short term conditions. It should give the trees a color bump going toward late October. According to Dave Shaw, the owner of Buffalo Creek Guest Ranch in Talihina, "An early light frost, a little moisture and little wind can overcome the drought."

Let's hope!

Some are optimistic a great fall watching season is ahead, while others are more leery. Last year, despite a major drought, conditions improved enough to allow the fall color to be pretty. Here is a link to bookmark for the best travel destinations for fall color in Oklahoma: Oklahoma Fall Foliage and Festivals.

Here is to safe travels and great fall color!