If you have noticed splashes of gold in the mountains, you aren't imagining things. Aspen trees are beginning to change color weeks before the normal arrival. While it may look like fall has arrived early, this is not the case. Experts say that these trees are actually telling us a message.

Across western Colorado, drought conditions are among the worst the state has experienced since May 2023. Aspen trees that experience a decrease in water levels and moisture will begin to shut down their photosynthesis process because they are losing more water than they are taking in.

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Forest Entomologist from Colorado State University, Dan West, explains that "Some of the yellowing that people are starting to see is just a drought stress response in these trees. What we really need is sunny d

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