LEWISTOWN — If it seems like those typically vibrant fall colors have been a bit muted this year, there’s good reason.

Biology professor Chris Martine from Bucknell University said the fall foliage’s brilliance has been affected by environmental factors.

This year, environmental conditions have led to mixed color results and caused many trees to drop their leaves before reaching peak brilliance.

Martine believes fall colors require pretty good moisture, relatively warm days and really cool nights. That hasn’t been the case this fall.

“Without those three things in combination, your fall color tends to not be that great, and many trees drop their leaves without ever really that peak color we often get,” Martine explained.

According to the most recent Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Weekly Fall Foliage Report, the entire state is “past peak,” except for southern Pennsylvania. The bottom border of the state, stretching from Bedford to Philadelphia counties including Perry County is “starting to fade.”

The Perry and Juniata county service forester, stationed at Tuscarora State Forest, said leaves are falling fast but some color can still be seen there. “Winding through Perry and Juniata counties, Route 850 is still a scenic drive. Route 274 is also beautiful from New Germantown to the Big Spring Picnic Area, where Maples and Hickories are vibrant,” the report stated.

At the Rothrock State Forest in Huntingdon County, the service forester said the ridges are looking more barren every day, but a few Oaks, Hickories and Poplars are retaining colorful leaves.

The forestry staff at Bald Eagle State Forest said Mifflin and Snyder counties are past peak and have lost most leaves. “Wind, rain and frost have brought the curtain down on a great season of color, but Oak ridge tops still offer some colorful, late autumn scenery,” the report stated.

“This year, we also had very little rain in the early part of the summer, which likely affected how robust the connections between leaves and their branches were,” he added. “Even after all of the late-summer and fall rain we got, this probably means that leaves drop off pretty quickly once a few cold days show up.”

Martine has also observed that global climate change has played a role in changing the environmental clock on peak fall foliage in recent years.

“If we continue to get (warmer) weather like we’ve had the last couple of years, we get a really late color change and then a shift when we see the first frost, which to me was always early November,” Martine explained. “If that continues, we will see a shift in when that color change occurs and how deep it is in some parts of the country.”