Montana’s Amazing Technicolor Tree: Can You “Beleaf” the Autumn Colors?

This incredibly colorful tree is hiding in plain sight and you might drive by it every day if you're in downtown Bozeman.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, Montana's weather is supposed to be about as "normal" as possible during October of 2022. Not sure what normal means around here, but since we didn't have a single hard freeze in Bozeman during September, I'd bet October may have some surprises for us.

No matter what's in store, there are some AMAZING splashes of fall color happening right now in our downtown areas. This particular gem is located in downtown Bozeman, but towns across the entire state are getting their own autumn shows from Mother Nature.

Take a quick drive out of town and you'll be treated to vast patches of vibrant colors too, but it's pretty amazing how gorgeous some of our urban trees can get. Our fancy friend featured here is located between Cafe M and Montana Ale Works on East Main Street in downtown Bozeman.

(Is this particular wonder some sort of maple tree? I think so, but I'm unsure. We didn't want to pull off a leaf for further inspection, so if you know what kind it is just by this picture...please share!)

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The fall equinox arrived on Thursday, September 22nd, 2022 and the first day of winter is December 21st, 2022. It's a long-standing joke that "fall" in Montana is usually stunning, BUT...it might last 12 minutes. So far so good this season, and it looks like the state may get at least another full week of autumn colors.

For a little perspective, this picture is of the same tree during the summer months. Lovely and green but nothing compared to the colors it displays in autumn.