OHIO — Fall colors are arriving in Ohio, but recent warm weather coupled with rain is hampering the changing foliage, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
In its weekly fall color update on Thursday, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said that the fall colors in the Hocking Hills area southeast of Columbus are starting to reach near peak conditions.” The rest of the state, however, is still reporting patchy colors.
“In general, the weather across the state has not been ideal for fall color development,” ODNR leaf forecaster David Parrott said. “The warm temperatures mixed with cloudy skies and rain has stunted fall colors in some areas.”
Parrott was optimistic, however, some areas will still see some good fall color viewing.
“There are places that are on track for a great display of yellows, oranges and reds in the coming weeks,” he said.
Out of 29 reporting locations in the state, six were listed with “near peak” colors as of Thursday. The rest were listed by ODNR as “changing.”
Changing conditions means that there is color in less than 25 percent of the trees. Near peak, which is the nevel level of colors, means that 30-60 percent of trees have changed color.
Late last month, Parrott projected that Ohio would likely be at peak leaf condition in mid-to-late October.
“Ohio’s wide diversity of tree species results in an eclectic range of fall colors, from bold reds to bright yellows,” Parrott said. “Keep an eye out for Ohio buckeyes, which are usually the first leaves to change.”
