Distressed Cedar 50'

We have 3 very large cedar trees in our back yard.
Within 7 days one has turned (last week). We generally see this in late Sept. early Oct.
The other two are still green and look fine. We have been here for 24 yrs and I have never seen one of these trees turn that quickly or this early.

I am attaching pictures which were taken today. So the tree looks quite orange but not as orange as it did before the wind storm. A lot came down.

Could it be because of the dry weather, or should I be concerned that
we could be looking at a dying tree?

 

Usually this would be drought effects.

 

Thank you for responding. As the other two cedars in the yard and green and fine at this time, and I think this one that has turned is positioned in the yard for the most heat and dryness, will it recover? Should I be concerned?

Thanks

 

They're actually Western Redcedars (Thuja plicata), not Cedars (Cedrus).

As well as drought, I'd be suspecting soil compaction and effects of paving over the root system as culprits.

 

They typically recover, and it's not unusual to see this effect in drought years here on the coast. Lots of them looking this way right now.

 

Thank you woodschmoe

 

As encouragement to remain optimistic about the health of your cedars (Thuja plicata), I offer my experience from many years ago in foolishly not only paving a driveway right next one very large old tree but also dumping several inches of fill from an excavation all over the root zone. That was before I knew how important surface roots are to cedars and how much they need moisture. The tree went almost completely brown but somehow revived and thrived over the next few years. (It probably didn't hurt that we had an undetected water main leak for several months.)

Trees that are stressed year after year may well die but the early flagging you see on your cedars this year is undoubtedly due to the lack of water this summer. It is a reminder to try and provide a little extra water should similar conditions occur in future. (Easier said than done, I know, because the larger trees grow, the more water they consume.)

 

No paving or fill on any of these Western Red Cedars. More likely the drought conditions we have experienced this year. Was more a concern for the safety
of all the adjoining homes in our neighbourhood, should the tree become unstable.

Thank you all for you input.