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Fall colors may still show up

MICHAEL KELLY The Marietta Times A patch of red leaves shows in a stand of woods in Marietta Tuesday. Forest experts predict that the peak for fall foliage this year will happen around the end of October.

A dose of cold weather predicted for the Mid-Ohio Valley over the next few days might be just what’s needed to induce the vibrant colors of fall in the region’s forests.

Greg Smith, a fall foliage specialist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said Tuesday a long, warm summer has delayed the annual turning of the leaves for a few weeks.

“It’s a wait-and-see kind of thing,” he said. “Our prediction now is probably a week and a half to two weeks later than normal because of the warm weather.”

Smith said leaves already are starting to display yellows and some orange.

“They’re preparing for winter, with that flush of sugars going into the leaves, giving them more weight,” he said. “We’re just starting to get the weather we need for vibrant colors, those cold, crisp nights and bright sunny days. A lot of oranges and yellows are coming out, but if we get those cool nights and sunny days, we’ll see a lot more of the reds produced.”

Trees produce color across the warm-light spectrum, from yellow to red.

“For bright color trees, the sugar maple is probably the showiest. It can display all those colors,” Smith said. “You’re going to see reds in maples, sweet gum, dogwoods, black gum, and sassafras has a range of colors, especially the deeper reds and oranges, For yellows, there’s hickory and ash, yellow poplar.”

Smith said predictions now are that the foliage will be at peak color around the end of October.

Shannon Folts, the visitor experience director at the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said fall foliage is one element that visitors come to the area to experience in the fall.

“There was a fall foliage driving tour last weekend, and we fielded a lot of calls about that,” she said. “The foliage does draw a lot of people from outside the area, and while they’re here they can see other things, the covered bridges, Wayne National Forest. The Valley Gem (sternwheel boat) was on the cover of Ohio magazine, and that drew a lot of interest. There’s nothing like seeing the fall foliage from the river.”

The colorful forest is just one of the fall attractions in Marietta, she said.

“When people visit, it often translates into overnight stays, visits to shops and restaurants, they take the time to visit a local museum, see everything we have to offer,’ she said. “People just love Marietta in general. They’ll come regardless and just enjoy all we have to offer.”

Smith said he has received inquiries from outside the area.

“I’ve had some calls from out of state, wondering when to time their visits,” he said. “Some are tourists, some are native Ohioans just wanting to know what’s going on.”

The state offers events designed around autumn, he said.

“Saturday at Hocking Forest we’ll have a fall color tour that includes a look at different forest practices, a wagon ride, habitat education, forest management and chainsaw safety,” he said.

For those who want to keep up with things as the forest turns on its fall colors, the Ohio DNR has up-to-date news on one of its websites, fallcolor.ohiodnr.gov. Updated reports are posted from around the state on Wednesdays, he said, including regional color ratings.

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