How droughts and extreme heat affect colorful fall foliage in DC area

If you’re expecting a colorful leaf-peeping experience this fall in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, you may need to lower your expectations.

The high temperatures the D.C. area saw this summer could lead to an earlier and less colorful fall foliage season in Virginia, with some trees quickly turning brown instead of bright reds and oranges.

“The combination of the drought plus extreme heat, those two things are major stresses on trees. So we are going to see effects from that,” said Ellen Powell...