Leaf colors ‘leaning toward the better side’ as fall viewing season arrives

Pa. has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state.

By PATRICK VARINE
TribLive

Fall has arrived — and it’s shaping up to be a colorful season.

“Compared to the average year, we’re probably leaning toward the better side for leaf color production,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Colton Milcarek. “It’s more favorable if we have some regular seasonal temperatures and average rainfall, which is on track for what we’ve seen over the summer.”

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state — or anywhere else in the world. And with about 200,000 acres of public lands, the Laurel Highlands is an ideal place to seek out the changing colors of the season.

The DCNR will help with that planning in about a week, when its forestry division will begin issuing weekly fall foliage reports. They track when and where foliage is changing, peaking and on the downside as November approaches. The department typically issues reports over a six-week period from late September to early November.

When people around the country are looking for great places to see fall foliage, Western Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands is always near the top of the list.

The region was voted among USA Today’s “Ten Best Destinations for Fall Colors” for the seventh consecutive year, finishing sixth in reader voting.

Below, watch a video by YouTube user Christopher Campbell, showing some of the region’s foliage.

“We know Mother Nature dampened many summer weekends, so we encourage visitors to turn those postponed plans into a Laurel Highlands autumn itinerary,” said Ann Nemanic, executive director of Go Laurel Highlands, the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties.

A number of fall festivals also offer a chance to get out and see the seasons change, including the Mt. Pleasant Glass and Ethnic Festival this weekend, Confluence PumpkinFest on Oct. 1-4, Delmont’s Apple’n Arts Festival on Oct. 3-4, Fort Ligonier Days on Oct. 9-11 and Seven Springs Autumnfest, which will take place during the first three weekends in October.

Monday’s chilly morning air is also a good sign as leaf-peepers wait for the colors to pop, Milcarek said.

“As temperatures cool down and we start to get some night-time lows below freezing and daytime highs above freezing, that’s kind of the ideal situation for fall foliage,” he said. “It also helps if things are a little drier, and with the development of this year’s El Niño, we’re likely going to see some more of that dry weather that will help.”