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I would like to know if the trees have started to change
I went to the web site But can not seem to find the information.
Looking forward to a nice ride through the Blueridge Mtns.
Thanks
We have a front warning for tonight and a cold front moving in which will drop daytime highs by about 10 degrees for the next week so things are going to happen very fast now. The birch tree in our yard just went from green to yellow almost overnight and maples in the Asheville area are really starting to pop as well.
I agree with Cofga on the almost overnight changes. And, with the heavy rain yesterday and the scheduled wind for later tonight, tomorrow and into Sat, the leaves will take a beating, at least at this, and higher altitudes.
Lots of micro climates and hard to generalize, but if one is looking at "color" in the higher elevations and more northern of the western counties, I would not wait and hope...I personally like the more bare, softer faded look in the weeks to come, but the tourists like the snap now and in the next week, imo.
GL, mD
motordavid nailed it - the wind and rain are hammering the leaves right now. The best time was Monday and Tuesday this week. The color changes have happened very quickly in the past week with first cool highs, then 3 days in the 80s, rain, and back to cool. My recent pics: Fall Colors 2010 - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20166606@N07/sets/72157625023566821/ - broken link)
Do you all really think the wind is going to sweep a lot of the leaves off the trees today and tomorrow? I went out fall color "peeping" last weekend but was hoping for one more good weekend . . .
(Obviously, nothing any of us can do to change the weather.)
The maples and birch trees have really changed colors considerably, I would definitely agree, almost overnight, it seemed.
Do you all really think the wind is going to sweep a lot of the leaves off the trees today and tomorrow? I went out fall color "peeping" last weekend but was hoping for one more good weekend . . .
(Obviously, nothing any of us can do to change the weather.)
The maples and birch trees have really changed colors considerably, I would definitely agree, almost overnight, it seemed.
No expert and the timing is very hard to predict, but the "colors" we are seeing now are present all season; it's when the abscission layer that connects the leaf stem to the branch "shuts off", that the "hidden color" fueled by pigments, glucose and waste products allows the color to appear. It's that same "layer" on the stem that finally forms a tear line,
and the leaf is stripped from the tree branch...at our elevation, when the weather guessers talk of a windy day or two, we brace for 40-60 mph +.
Thus, I would predict considerable leaf strippage at many locations of the higher elevations.
But, don't despair: go out for a drive or hike and enjoy Autumn! There will be lots of leaves and color to view.
GL, mD
And the worst part of driving the BRP is getting stuck behind people (usually with plates from the Peninsular State Just South of the State of Georgia) going literally 15 mph in a 45 mph zone! I understand a leisurely drive to look at stuff, but that's why the overlooks are there: to look at stuff! Please, at least go close to the speed limit. The BRP is a very well made road, perfectly banked and very fun if you enjoy carving corners in your car, and my car is pretty sporty, so that's what I like to do. I don't drive dangerously, but I do drive enthusiastically, and that is pretty much out of the question right now with all the leafers around.
But don't let my rant stop you from coming to see our wonderful Autumn. It's beautiful, and everyone should see it for themselves. Just please, eyes on the road, cellphone in the pocket, and go the speed limit. If you can manage that, you are more than welcome here!
Wait til you are in a straight away before passing a cyclist they are experiencing the parkway the best way; Less pollution on the fragile mountain tops.
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