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Weekly Foliage Reports
Every week we post the latest news on fall color changes throughout all of Tennessee.
Color Reports Podcast
11/10/08
West Tennessee's leaves are at peak this week with bright reds, yellows and oranges bursting with color. With over 90 percent in active color, this is the perfect time to travel Great River Rd. which encompasses highways 78, 181, 88 and 51 or the Hwy 64 scenic byway for spectacular views. Dogwood, sourwood, Virginia creeper, sumac and maple trees are all showing bright reds while tulip trees, birch, beech, hickory and walnut are turning yellow and gold. Fall wildflowers such as goldenrod and asters are blooming.
Middle Tennessee was at a true leaf peek last week; however 80 percent of the trees are still touting glorious colors. Maple trees are still the most majestic with their royal reds, and brilliant yellows. This is still a wonderful time for leaf viewing along Natchez Trace Parkway or the Hwy 70 scenic byway through middle Tennessee. With some of the trees losing their leaves, colorful leaves can also been seen as ground covering along the basses of the trees.
East Tennessee has passed its peak and the colder nights and rain have taken many of the leaves from the trees. Some of the mountain tops already have snow on them.
10/24/08
The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is full of fall. The low to mid elevations are showing bright patches of color are developing but they are still somewhat localized. Portions of the park's mountainsides are quite colorful while other nearby areas are still mainly green. Views looking up toward the crest of the Smokies are still quite nice this week as colors change at mid to high elevation. Peak color at the mid elevation creates the most prominent fall color and so the best is still yet to come. Still colorful foliage can be found in patches along all park roads. The color should continue to intensify with the vast majority of trees showing full color within the next seven to ten days. A succession of warm, sunny days and cool crisp, but not freezing nights will be the determinant on how fast the peak will occur, bringing on the most spectacular color display.
Southeast Tennessee continues to enjoy fine fall weather with cool mornings and mostly sunny afternoons. Although widespread color changes are still not very evident, more and more reds and oranges are appearing. The most visible changes are still above 1500 feet where foliage has now transitioned about 30%. Maple trees that were topped with red one week ago are now spectacular from top to bottom. Most of the sweet gums are displaying a deep burgundy. Vivid oranges appear in limited supply, but are striking right now when seen. Hickory trees seem to be the only yellow leaves on display this year. Valley locations now display about 25% color change around the Chattanooga area. Reds seem to be the dominant shade with orange stand outs and very few yellow shades seen overhead. Even though the fall foliage appears to be sluggish to change, the presentation displayed by the leaves that have already changed points to an outstanding color season ahead. Another round of much needed rain appears to be on the horizon late this week followed by more cool air.
Middle Tennessee has been progressing nicely into fall. Cooler weather and longer nights are upon us and fall is full effect. With about 40 percent color change this week, our peek fall season should be within the next two weeks. Looking over the hill tops brings a beautiful blanket of bright reds, yellows, and oranges with many still green leaves as a backdrop.
West Tennessee is just now breaking into the fall season with less than 20 percent color change. The next few weeks should bring about much change for the area and push west Tennessee into full fall.
10/15/08
Fall is fast approaching in Tennessee and the beauty of the changing leaves is upon us.
Bright patches of color are developing throughout the Smoky Mountain National Park. Portions of the Park's mountainsides at middle to high elevation are quite colorful. In the high country, a full spectrum of color can be seen above 4,500 feet with peak soon to come at the highest elevations. Reds showing now include dogwood, sourwood, Virginia creeper, sumac and maple. Tuliptrees, birch, beech, hickory and walnut are turning yellow and gold. Fall wildflowers such as goldenrod and asters are blooming.
For close-up views of nature's fall extravagance, spend some time on one of the more than 800 miles of hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Recommended trails include the Appalachian Trail to Charlies Bunion, the Spruce-Fir Self-Guiding Nature Trail, Gregory Bald Trail, and Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail.
For a breathtaking scenic drive, great fall color may be found along Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, Foothills Parkway, and Heintooga Ridge Road to Balsam Mountain Campground.
The first cool breezes of autumn have kissed the trees in the higher elevations producing some spectacular colors in Southeast Tennessee. The canopy atop Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain is now displaying about 25 percent color change. Shades of red appear to be the most dominant colors appearing at elevations above 1500 feet. Occasionally a strikingly orange maple stands out from the crimson and the green foliage that is yet to change. Sweet gums are stunning right now with leaves that have shades ranging from scarlet to maroon. Maples appear to be the chameleons of the tree world this year showing every shade from lemon yellow to fire engine red.
Valley locations around downtown Chattanooga are at less than 25 percent color right now, but even here a few surprises exist. Dogwoods and Bradford pear trees are now turning beautiful shades of red. The patchwork quilt of fall is beginning to appear inside the Tennessee River Gorge. While most of the trees remain in their summer green, a few along the river's edge seem to be on fire with bright orange leaves.
Middle Tennessee is showing progress to about 25 percent color change in the leaves. Maple trees are turning a bright, fiery orange with some leaves beginning to fall. Looking up to higher elevations, bright reds and yellows burst out from their green backgrounds.
A little rain is forecast later this week followed by cool, sunny conditions this weekend. That's the perfect recipe for fall travelers to enjoy the greatest color show on earth unfolding in Tennessee.
10/09/08
With the cooler temperatures at night and the shorter sunny days, fall color is beginning to emerge in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The timing of color change and leaf fall is primarily sparked by the increasing length of night. As days grow shorter, and nights grow longer and cooler, chemical processes in the leaf begin to bring on the color. While the typical peak of fall leaf color is at the mid to lower elevations where the greatest diversity of trees live, color displays above 4,000 feet begin first which then move down the mountainsides into the valleys.
The Smoky Mountain National Park at all elevations is still predominately green, but with great color along Clingmans Dome Road where it is about 40-50 percent advanced in color change. With the continuing of cool nights this should speed up the process and bring full color at the highest elevations, above 5,000 feet, within the week. Trees in the high country that are now showing bright color are the yellows of American beech and yellow birch and different shades of reds on mountain ash, pin cherry and mountain maple. In the lower elevations, a few early color changing species such as sourwood and sumac are showing bright reds now, but are scattered. Some dogwoods and maples are beginning to turn different colors in some areas as well. More notable now are the fall wildflowers of white wood aster, pale jewelweed, purpose heal-all, black cohosh, and mountain gentian.
Middle Tennessee has continued to experience warmer weather in the days with the average temperatures last week in the mid 80s. Cooler temperatures in the evenings and longer nights have pushed the leaves into fall just a bit further. 15-20 percent of the leaves have changed to a vibrant orange and red. With rain and cooler temperatures in the forecast for the upcoming week, we are sure to see more fall colors in the near future.
West Tennessee is just starting to see a few splashes of color on the trees, but typically does not show fall in its full luster until late October.
Recommendations: High elevation trails such as Sugarland Mountain Trail, Gregory Bald Trail, and Appalachian Trail, accessed at Clingmans Dome, Newfound Gap or in the Mt. Cammerer area of the Park would be good hikes for this time of year.
As for the best driving tours, roads leading into the high country, including Newfound Gap Road, Heintooga Ridge Road, Foothills Parkway West and East, and Rich Mountain Road out of Cades Cove are appropriate options for leaf seekers.
10/01/08
Tennessee has been experiencing extended summer temperatures lately with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the 80s. As a result, true fall colors have begun to appear. From a distance, the scenic mountains still appear lush and green. Upon closer inspection however, vivid reds pop out from this background.
At the lower elevations, some sourwood, sumac, and dogwood trees and Virginia creeper vines have started to show their seasonal reds, and sweet gum trees have begun to display their purple to yellow to red colors. Some vegetation is displaying its colorful seed pods, such as the umbrella magnolia tree and hearts-a-bustin shrub. Otherwise, it is still predominantly green in the Smokies, but as the sunny days and cooler nights of the last few weeks continue, things will begin changing on a daily basis.
Foliage is currently at less than a 10 percent change color in southeast Tennessee. Virginia Creepers, climbing vines with leaflets in groups of five, are now a deep scarlet color. With cooler air forecast to arrive within days, the Virginia Creeper may be signaling brilliant autumn color ahead.
Along the Tennessee River and on the mountains of Lookout, Signal and Raccoon, some trees are starting to show a change at their tops. This is especially true of the Bradford Pears in downtown Chattanooga and at Ross's Landing. Along the beautiful Lookout Mountain Parkway and Corridor J Highway 127 North, the wildflowers are still blooming with green being the predominant color.
Middle east Tennessee also shows about 10 percent leaf change. Some trees are boasting deep red and auburn colors. Every now and again, there is a tree with slightly orange-red leaves. The weather has been beautiful this week with clear skies, which has slowed the autumn process.
Middle Tennessee has been following the trend of summer weather and late leaf changing. Around 10 percent of the leaves have started to turn to a crisp yellow, especially the maple trees.
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