YAKIMA, Wash. – The autumn equinox has officially arrived, marking the beginning of fall and bringing a chill to the air. In Yakima, the Arboretum is already showcasing the early stages of leaf color changes, with more vibrant colors expected by mid to late October.

Brandon Lawhorn from the National Weather Service shared some insights on the seasonal changes.

“Leaves that have more of that direct sunlight will turn more red, have more of those red and indigo colors, whereas those that do not have as much direct sunlight or are in kind of more shaded areas may be more yellow in color…If you start to see more below-freezing nights, that can cause the leaves to actually kind of wither and fall off the tree without having the ability to change color,” said Lawhorn.

Lawhorn added that the r

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