CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) - We've had a nice stretch of bright and warm weather across western Massachusetts this month, but it's starting to get pretty dry. While it is still early, there are some indications the dry weather is starting to affect the leaves. Our stretch of sunshine and warm weather continued Wednesday and at Forest Park in Springfield, people were still wearing shorts. With fall just a few days away, the leaves are starting to change color. But the dry weather we've been having could have an impact on the foliage. Ken Parsons from Chicopee told 22News, "I don't think it's going to be as bright this year and I think it might be a shorter season." "Sometimes it can impact it, I think they drop sooner and you don't get so much color as you expect to have and hopefully we'll get a little rain between now and when they really start to change," adds Mary Ellen Hutchinson from Springfield. According to Harvard University's Harvard Forest, summer drought conditions can stress trees. This can cause the leaves to change color earlier and the trees may lose their leaves prematurely as well. That can result in a lack of brilliant color during the peak of the season. Fall officially starts this weekend on Sunday at 8:44 a.m. Local News Headlines Commonwealth Care Alliance Day of Service September heat follows record-breaking warm August FBI warns Sec. of the Commonwealth about “suspicious packages” Dry weather may dull fall foliage across the region WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.