Frost and low temperatures will cause the leaf to lose its chlorophyll, the green pigmentation in the leaf. Yellow and orange pigmentation are well known, but the red chemicals remain a mystery. This article by Live Science describes the natural process of color change in some detail.
New information about trees and the fall foliage.
The chemicals in a leaf which cause our brilliant fall colors actually reside in the leaf all year. But in the fall, when the chlorophyll goes away, the colors remain behind and then wow! Depending on the variety of tree, we can see bright colors on some and no color on others. This article describes why the trees need these chemicals (colors) to survive.
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