10/06/2011
courtesy of gatlinburg.com
2011 AUTUMN LEAF REPORT - OCTOBER 4
The recent cold snap has nudged fall color along and the trees that began turning earlier in the season with the reds of sumac, sourwood, dogwood, and black gum are at peak. This past weekend the snow-capped mountains glistened in the sun from a slight dusting and provided another spectacular setting for viewing nature at its best!
Elevations above 3,500 feet are developing colorful scenes, particularly along the drier, south-facing slopes, dotted with yellows, golds, reds and burgundies. Above 5,000 feet, the bright red berries of the American mountain ash are startling in contrast to some bare trees and otherwise partial green surroundings. Notable among the changing trees in the high country are birch, beech, sugar maple, and witch hobble. The red of the Virginia creeper vine is dramatic this year with its graceful vine winding up tree trunks reaching towards the canopies of many trees. There�s a lot more to come as the high-elevation peak is expected to present itself over the next seven days and then parade down the mountainside.
With the right ingredients emerging, cooler night temperatures and sunny days forecasted, color in the low country will be progressing nicely this week. The typical peak of fall leaf color at the middle to lower elevations is expected to arrive sometime within the last weeks in October or the first of November.