Autumn Leaves Of Green

The recent hot temperatures aren’t just keeping you in shorts until God-knows-when, probably sometime in mid-December. No, the hottest October on record — average temperature: 67 degrees — has also managed to screw up all the fall leaves changing color.

Leaves change color because cool fall nights destroy the chlorophyll which gives leaves a green color. Reds, yellows and the less fun browns can’t show up if there’s still a large amount of chlorophyll in the leaves, so that’s why the tree across the street from you still makes it look like we’re in the middle of summer.

The upside is an expected mild winter. Of course, that also means we all die of excessive heat next summer, or something like that.

Can’t find colorful foliage? Blame the record warmth [Inquirer]
[Image by JoJan, licensed via Creative Commons]

Go Outside Today, Please

I was just outside for the past hour or so. It’s gorgeous out. The first three days of this week are probably the last two times when you’ll be able to go out without a jacket, with it windy but gorgeous and the sky an incredible shade of blue. So, please, go out. Sometime soon.

Mighty Nice Monday [Philadelphia Weather]