Here’s When Fall Foliage Will Be At Its Peak In The Quad Cities

Who's ready to take some Instagram-worthy autumnal photos?

It seems like fall foliage has been slow going in the midwest this year, but we won't have to wait much longer to go leaf-peeping.

WQAD reports that foliage will be at its peak in the QC by the third week of October, so approximately October 22.

We're lucky that we had dry weather during the month of September because that could result in brighter foliage.

Meteorologist Eric Sorensen says,

"Typically, the best fall color comes when late summer is drier-than-normal and fall has sunny days and cool, crisp nights."

And the colors of the leaves is dependent on what chemicals are being supplied by the tree, since chlorophyll decreases as the temps go down.

"With colder temperatures, xanthophyll causes leaves to turn yellow. Oranges come from a pigment called carotene. It's the same reason carrots are orange. Most people find the red color most beautiful and that can be traced back to a pigment called anthocyanin."

Foliage is already peaking up north in Minneapolis, while folks in Minneapolis won't see the brightest hues of the season until Halloween.