Recent cold snaps have accelerated the arrival of fall colors here on the coast, where the peak of color is expected from mid-October to the end of the month, if significant storms do not denude the trees and bushes.
As you probably know, the colder weather and decreasing daylight signal to the trees that they should stop creating nutrients for themselves and get prepared for their winter torpors.
The chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down, the dominant green hues disappear, and the inherent yellow, orange, and red colors emerge to help the leaves create their own flamboyant farewell. Similarly, the low-bush blueberry leaves are turning scarlet before they become dull:
(Images taken in North Sedgwick and South Blue Hill, Maine, on October 8, 2022.)