Fingers crossed!

Many of the red/black oaks (any in that group) seem to have this browning issue this year so might not have as much color. The white oaks (& related) look fine.

That said, some pin oaks in a parking lot island near me are turning DEEP red already.

What sometimes happens (I'm concerned this year) is that the colors start early due to dry weather, but beause its so dry, the leaf dries and falls before reaching full color potential.

Looking like a healthy baby there. Curious as to how much it grew this year?

Our Scarlet colors late, and starts with the veins and petioles taking on a red-brown color (which it has already done), then eventually the red slowly displaces the green, and then brow displacing the red.

Keep us posted on your little guy.

Arktrees

May be a teaser. Some of my trees do that -- Chinese elm has a couple blood-red tips starting, but it never colors that well wholesale.

What sometimes happens (I'm concerned this year) is that the colors start early due to dry weather, but beause its so dry, the leaf dries and falls before reaching full color potential.

Hair, that's true for drought-intolerant trees -- less so for oaks, etc.

Yeah, the maples are notorious for that around here. Same for Liquidambar & also for Liriodendron.

Last year the oaks were generally our best color, actually. A Scarlet Oak near my old office was absolutely stunning around Nov. 10, but quickly turned brown while the leaves remained on the tree another month.

Our Liquidambar has been losing interior leaves since mid September. Do you think the color will stink because of the drought?

It's hard to say - we were WET WET WET until mid July, then someone turned off the spigot. Aside from a nice 1" soaker two weekends ago, we've had NOTHING in appreciable rain since then. Crossing fingers that Karen gives us some rain as is currently likely.

It seems to vary a lot here. Some Liquidambars are turning DEEP red on the outer leaves already (some purples too) and some are still green but the inner leaves are dropping and yellow.

If some rain comes soon, I think colors will be good.

If you look closely you'll see there is a severe injury to the central vein of that leaf, and the color is occurring beyond there. That's why that one leaf is early.