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Steamy, Dry Summer Not Ideal For Fall Leaf Season

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's been a hot, dry summer and many trees have already begun dropping their leaves. So how will the conditions impact the leaf colors this fall?

Who doesn't love the deep colorful leaves of autumn? Unfortunately, it takes specific weather conditions to give us the beautiful foliage, says Paul Meyer, Executive Director of the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania.

"If this drought is not broken, if we don't get some significant rainfall in the next two weeks," Meyer said, "I think it's going to lead to an autumn that's less colorful than normal."

He says some stressed trees drop their leaves early while the stress may cause some red leafed trees to get brighter but turn sooner, so without rain, you may see colors earlier with fewer yellows and oranges.

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