SULLIVAN COUNTY — Many people in Sullivan County will say: fall is here. Cooler temps in the mornings and evenings along with changing colors in the leaves are sure signs of the season. 

It appears leaves are starting to change earlier this year, due to dry weather and cooler-than-average temperatures.

According to a spokesperson from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), “During late summer, the chlorophyll in leaves begins to break down due to changes in length of daylight and cooler temperatures. The weather is always a factor to determine fall color as the amount of sunshine, temperature, and moisture impacts production of red pigments in leaves in variable concentrations.”

I LOVE NY, a division of tourism for New York State, started its Fall Foliage Report this week. Reports are obtained from more than 90 volunteer field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. Reports are issued every Wednesday afternoon.

The official “leaf peepers” have observed that the leaves are just changing, and that the most significant color change will happen this weekend in the Catskills region.

Dry weather continues to persist, and Governor Kathy Hochul, with the DEC, announced a drought watch is being expanded by 30 counties, bringing the total to 50 counties under a watch across the state, including Sullivan. 

The action was taken after consulting with the State Drought Management Task Force and federal partner agencies for the Catskills, Susquehanna, Mohawk/Upper Hudson, Finger Lakes and Southern Tier drought regions. New York State is encouraging residents in affected counties, particularly those dependent on private groundwater wells, to conserve water whenever possible during the coming weeks.

“The dry conditions experienced by many regions throughout the summer are continuing into September,” Governor Hochul said. “New York State experts are closely monitoring data and conditions on the ground to safeguard our water supplies and recommend appropriate action, which now includes taking simple steps everyone can do to help conserve water.”