CLEVELAND — If you’ve ever noticed that the trees start turning earlier in the mountains, there’s a good reason. The same idea applies right here in Northeast Ohio, just on a smaller scale.

Credit: #3weather Foliage color - U.S.

Higher terrain cools off first. In the Appalachians of the East and the Rockies and Cascades out West, temperatures drop faster with height. Ridge tops lose heat quickly at night, leading to earlier frosts and a faster decline in chlorophyll — the green pigment that hides fall colors. Thinner soils and slightly drier conditions at elevation add to the stress, pushing trees to start their seasonal shutdown sooner.

Credit: #3weather Foliage color - west

Credit: #3weather Foliage color - east

While Northeast Ohio isn’t mountainous, it does have notable el

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