Fall Color

For you that live along the trail.....Doug.....whats the fall color like this week? We cancelled a trip to the Racoon River Trail in Iowa for the weekend because of snow and cold on Sunday in the forcast and are thinking of the Katy instead. I'm guessing it may be a bit early yet but at least the weather looks good for the weekend.

It's starting to really look nice. Awful wet right now but the colors are getting strong already. If it isn't too wet this weekend should be fantastic.

It seems like right now the fall color is mostly Rocheport east and somewhat spotty. Jefferson City east was pretty over the weekend....with the Portland to Rhineland area and Augusta to Weldon Springs very pretty.

This is from the Missouri Department of Conservation web site today:

Central Region, including Columbia, Jefferson City and Lake of the Ozarks:
Central Missouri is finally experiencing some dramatic fall color changes. A look across the canopy reveals reds, oranges, yellows, purples and browns. Sugar maple, red oak, sassafras, persimmon and dogwood account for most of the red and orange hues, while hickory, green ash and silver maple are turning yellow. Much of the forest is still green, but color shifts seem to be noticeable almost daily. The next few days will produce some heavy rains and cool temperatures. This will knock many leaves off of the trees and stimulate the remainder to cease chlorophyll production, revealing other colorful leaf pigments. Central Missouri's fall color peak appears to be right on schedule: October 15. Next week should be the best week of the month for viewing fall color. Explore Painted Rock Conservation Area in Osage County or Hart Creek Conservation Area in Boone County for an afternoon hike through oak-hickory forest, woodland and glade habitats. Also, consider a drive along Highway 94 between Jefferson City and Hermann to see the changing color on the river bluffs.