每日跟讀#722: Late winter brings fears for changing of color in Aowanda

Nov. 8 is lidong, the day that officially represents the start of winter. Yet temperatures in central Taiwan are still high during the day time, and it hasn’t rained for quite some time. Very few of the leaves on the green maple trees in the Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area, a popular site for people wanting to view the maple leaves, have turned red, and people may have to wait until mid-November to December to view red maple leaf scenery. Due to the lack of rain for a period of time, staff at the Nantou Forest District Office are concerned that if the dry spell continues and the maple leaves do not change color, the leaves will just wilt away.

十一月八日就是「立冬」，但至今中部地區白天仍偏熱，且很久沒有下雨，知名賞楓勝地奧萬大的青楓，目前僅極少數轉紅，要賞楓紅美景要等到本月中旬致十二月。惟因已有一段時日沒有下雨，南投林管處人員擔心，若再不下雨，楓葉還未轉紅就直接枯掉。

In another two weeks, we will reach lidong, the 19th of the 24 solar terms, which means we will have already entered winter. Unfortunately, from the beginning of fall, day time temperatures have remained high, reaching 30 degrees Celsius at noon. Even though the cold weather is late in coming, Nature lovers are already rubbing their hands in anticipation and making their plans for the maple leaf viewing trips, and rooms for Saturdays in November for the popular maple leaf viewing spot the Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area have been booked up the minute they have come available online. Visitors are still going to the area to see the red maple leaves.

再兩個禮拜就是二十四節氣中的「立冬」，表示時序要進入冬季，但從入秋到今天為止，白天的氣溫仍高，中午可達三十度的高溫。儘管還未感受到涼意，但喜歡大自然的民眾，已摩拳擦掌準備安排賞楓行程。中部著名賞楓景點奧萬大國家森林遊樂區，十一月週六的住宿，幾乎一開放網路訂房，幾分鐘就被訂一空，遊客都是為賞楓紅美景而來。

According to staff at the district office, only a very small number of the leaves on the green maple trees in the park have turned red, as the weather has yet to turn cool. They say that many tourists have been trying to find out when the leaves are expected to change color this year, but the weather is still warm and, going by the experience of previous years, one would normally expect the colors to change on most of the trees between the middle of November and December, when temperatures would usually vary by up to 15 degrees Celsius over the course of the day. If temperatures fall to as low as eight degrees Celsius or colder in one day, the maple leaves will change color; if, however, temperatures fail to drop, the optimal time for maple leaf viewing will be delayed.

南投林管處人員表示，目前奧萬大的青楓，因天氣還未轉涼，只有極少數變紅，很多遊客探詢今年的楓葉何時變紅。但因現在天氣仍偏熱，依過去楓葉變色的時間推測，大多在十一月中旬到十二月，也就是一天內高低溫相差十五度，或是當日最低溫在八度以下，楓葉變會一日變紅，但如果一直沒有冷空氣下來，賞楓紅美景的時間可能要延後。

The office staff added that they are currently more concerned about the continued lack of rainfall. If the dry weather continues, the maple leaves might not actually change color at all, and will just die off.

林管處人員也說，現在比較擔心的是持續不下雨，如果天氣一直是乾燥不雨，擔心青楓的葉子還來不及變紅，就直接枯掉。

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/11/04/2003725187