Even Though Winter May Not Be Far Off, Be Sure to Check out the Fall Colors First. They Are a Sight to Behold!

If you’re a fan of the book and television series “Game of Thrones,” then you’re more than likely familiar with the phrase, “Winter is Coming.”

On Bainbridge Island, and throughout the Pacific Northwest, winter is coming indeed. All you have to do is look outside and see the leaves changing color on our beautiful palette of deciduous trees: maples, oaks, beeches, locust, you name it. The island has stands of coniferous trees, from Douglas firs to red and yellow Cedars to Hemlocks, and any number of pines, but the number of broad leaf trees is really quite impressive as well.

Drive or bike around the island as I did recently and you’ll notice a veritable array of colors dotting the landscape, all from deciduous trees that have turned from green to yellow, red, scarlet and rust, or are in the process of doing so. This yearly miracle of nature occurs as summer fades into fall, and our days start getting shorter, with less sunlight emanating from above. This slow-moving change is a signal for the leaf to prepare for winter and to stop making chlorophyll – the stuff that keeps leaves green. Once this happens, the green color starts to fade and is replaced by the reds, oranges, and yellows that become the brilliant and awe-aspiring palette we’re now witnessing.

The fall foliage – as it is called in many regions of the country – is more prominent in the Rocky Mountain states, in the Upper Midwest, and of course, back east in places like Maine, Vermont and Upstate New York. For more info, check out this map: https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/.

According to the foliage experts, Western Washington experiences only a “patchy” state of color peak-ness compared to other places. But if you listen to our local weather broadcasters (my personal favorite is Shannon O’Donnell on KOMO News, Channel 4), they are telling a slightly different story.

O’Donnell, for example, says the increasingly colder weather is making for some amazing leaf displays around these parts. I agree. The foliage on the island, for sure, seems a bit brighter and more intense than in years past. The rains (and wind) we have or will be experiencing in the days and/or weeks ahead likely will bat down some leaves and blow others off our favorite trees, but hopefully when the sun comes out, there will be some color to admire and appreciate.  Best Places for Fall Foliage in the Pacific Northwest – Under Canvas®

While fall definitely has us in its grip, with our typical early winter not far behind, we appear to be facing another significant El Nino season.  According to our friends at Google and AI,  “Multiple authoritative climate agencies (NOAA, WMO, CPC, IRI) confirm that the 2026 El Niño is one of the strongest on record, with sea‑surface temperature anomalies exceeding +2.5 °C to +3.0 °C across key Niño regions.” 

Simply put, El Niño reshapes U.S. weather by pushing the Pacific jet stream southward and extending it farther east, which redirects moisture and warmth across the country in a predictable pattern. The South gets wetter, the North gets warmer and drier, and Atlantic hurricane seasons tend to be quieter. These shifts ripple into energy costs, flood risk, and water supply, with effects most pronounced during winter months

The downside to this weather phenomenon for we residents of the Pacific Northwest is that El Niño will shift the Pacific jet stream southward, steering storms away from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Thus, the 2026 El Niño is expected to bring warmer, drier conditions to the Pacific Northwest, reducing snowpack, increasing drought risk, and heightening wildfire potential. Not good.

The flip side for our neighbors in California is that El Niño is expected to bring a wetter‑than‑normal winter to the Golden State, with increased risks of flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, and stronger storm activity, especially in Southern California, where rainfall could exceed 110–120% of normal.

As Mark Twain once quipped, “Everyone talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about.” All the discussion about Climate Change notwithstanding (and no one knows for certain yet whether La Ninas or El Ninos are being enhanced by human activity or not), the weather is still front and center in our lives.  It’s why one of the first questions we ask ourselves each day is, what’s it like outside?

Winter is coming, but before it does enjoy the falling leaves first!

Interested in how weather patterns may be affected by Climate Change? Check out: https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2685/New-research-volume-explores-future-of-ENSO-under-influence-of-climate-change

*Images by Kevin Dwyer and John Benjes

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