Expect brilliant fall color this year, payback for a wet, dreary spring

Minnesota trees will offer gorgeous bursts of color this fall. Consider the displays a payoff for the state's dreary, wet spring.

"Things are going to be pretty good, primarily because we've gotten enough rain," said Jana Albers, a forest health specialists with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Healthy trees put on the best autumn shows, she said, and our trees are in excellent physiological shape. The thirst-quenching rains of spring were followed by some dry periods, with enough water falling to keep the trees recharged all summer long.

Typically in Grand Rapids, where Albers lives and works, the best color pops up the third week of September. Because trees never quite caught up after the long, cold spring, the color peak may be a bit later than usual, but we're basically on track, she said. A sudden frost while trees are still green could dull any display, she warned.

So far, weather has been cooperating, bringing on cool nights and sunny days — the magic combination that prompts aspen to turn yellow and maples to burn red. Prepare to be dazzled.