2010 autumn leaf peak

[GaWx]

Here on the northside of Atlanta, we've probably been near a leaf peak for the last few days imho, likely about a week after the average date. I'm assuming that the rains of today and tomorrow will take off enough leaves to likely end the peak. This year some of the bigger trees in the wooded areas seemed to have peaked a good bit earlier and with generally not so bright colors vs. many of the now peaking smaller/more isolated trees that have largely been quite colorful (including those along streets and near shopping centers/business parks, etc.). So, in other words, I'm considering this year's colors sort of a tale of two chapters: a dull 1st chapter and a pretty exciting 2nd chapter. **I decided on 11/21 to grade it overall as a B since the second peak has lasted so long and has been very impressive.**

How has the wx in ATL been in advance of this main peak? Well, SEP was quite warm and dry. OCT, other than a somewhat chilly start, was mainly a good bit warmer than normal and was dry until late. NOV gave us the first freezes on the 6th-7th. I'm wild guessing that the chilly early OCT got some of the bigger trees in the woods to turn rather early. OTOH, I'm thinking that this wasn't enough to get the other trees to start turning and that the mainly warm rest of OCT caused them to have a bit of a delayed peak. I'm assuming that the 11/6-7 freezes really got the main peak to finally get here about a week later.

Per my past posts on leaves:

-2009: a bit of a dull peak ~11/6

-2008: beautiful peak ~11/6 likely helped by the near freezing temp.'s of late Oct.

-2007: beautiful peak ~11/12 (later than average due to warmth prior to 10/23)

-2006: beautiful peak ~11/2 (early peak due imho to chilly early to mid Oct.)

-2005: relatively dull peak ~11/15 but with some small trees not peaking until early Dec. and with lots of beauty!

-2004: better than 2005 but no other details

I had given 2009 a C to D. I had put 2006-8 in the A to B category...with probably an A in at least 2007. 2005 had been declared to probably be close to a D. I called 2004 a C or better.

Anyone have any other leaf reports from this or other areas?

[DaculaWeather]

Here on the northside of Atlanta, we've probably been near a leaf peak for the last few days imho, likely about a week after the average date. I'm assuming that the rains of today and tomorrow will take off enough leaves to likely end the peak. This year some of the bigger trees in the wooded areas seemed to have peaked a good bit earlier and with generally not so bright colors vs. many of the now peaking smaller/more isolated trees that have largely been quite colorful (including those along streets and near shopping centers/business parks, etc.). So, in other words, I'm considering this year's colors sort of a tale of two chapters: a dull 1st chapter and a pretty exciting 2nd chapter. I've decided to grade it as near the B/C borderline.

How has the wx in ATL been in advance of this main peak? Well, SEP was quite warm and dry. OCT, other than a somewhat chilly start, was mainly a good bit warmer than normal and was dry until late. NOV gave us the first freezes on the 6th-7th. I'm wild guessing that the chilly early OCT got some of the bigger trees in the woods to turn rather early. OTOH, I'm thinking that this wasn't enough to get the other trees to start turning and that the mainly warm rest of OCT caused them to have a bit of a delayed peak. I'm assuming that the 11/6-7 freezes really got the main peak to finally get here about a week later.

Per my past posts on leaves:

-2009: a bit of a dull peak ~11/6

-2008: beautiful peak ~11/6 likely helped by the near freezing temp.'s of late Oct.

-2007: beautiful peak ~11/12 (later than average due to warmth prior to 10/23)

-2006: beautiful peak ~11/2 (early peak due imho to chilly early to mid Oct.)

-2005: relatively dull peak ~11/15 but with some small trees not peaking until early Dec. and with lots of beauty!

-2004: better than 2005 but no other details

I had given 2009 a C to D. I had put 2006-8 in the A to B category...with probably an A in at least 2007. 2005 had been declared to probably be close to a D. I called 2004 a C or better.

Anyone have any other leaf reports from this or other areas?

Here in Gwinnett it seemed to start out very slow. I have 4 maples in the back yard and the changed and dropped leaves with very little good color. The last 4 or 5 days though things really picked up and we had some nice colors. I'm wondering if those two months or so of dry weather had anything to do with it?

[Itunis]

Here in Alpharetta it's been a strange leaf season. Around Halloween and just after it seemed like we had the largest number of trees showing color (mostly dull though). By this past weekend a majority of trees IMBY and in the area were past peak, but the ones that were still peaking were very colorful. The rain yesterday really did a number on a lot of trees though.

[rosie]

Bradford pears and apple trees are the only ones left with leaves here, colors were far from the best I have seen. Looks like a leaf clean up party this week.

[EmersonGA]

I'm normally not a fan of Oaks in leaf season but they are really holding their own this year. They really saved the show after such a weird October.

[NEGa]

I'd say about a C- on the leaves imby this year.  Not the best by a long shot. A majority of the leaves have already fallen

[drfranklin]

I live about 2 and 1/2 hours northeast of Atlanta in Greenville, SC. Much like y'all, we've had two peaks to the leaf season here: one occurred just prior to Halloween (dull, muted colors on about 1/3 the trees) - now, within less than a week, some spectacular, vibrant colors on most trees. Really unusual this year - we usually peak the last week of October.

From weather.com: normal peak times for fall color.

[dsaur]

Most of my trees still have their leaves..even with the rain, but the several that had some coloring are past peak now.

Here are two in the front that were the best in my yard...I posted pics of them over a week ago on Eastern, and here they are at their peak this past weekend....now they are about half shod from the wind and rain. T

[Lookout]

I'd say about a C- on the leaves imby this year.  Not the best by a long shot. A majority of the leaves have already fallen

Funny there is so much difference between here and there. I'd give it an A here. My water oaks are beautiful this year which is a strange site indeed because most years they either just turn brown and fall off or keep them. This year they are a pretty yellowish/orange. In fact every tree here looks good. Everyone has been saying it's been the best they have seen in years.

[FoothillsNC]

Funny there is so much difference between here and there. I'd give it an A here. My water oaks are beautiful this year which is a strange site indeed because most years they either just turn brown and fall off or keep them. This year they are a pretty yellowish/orange. In fact every tree here looks good. Everyone has been saying it's been the best they have seen in years.

I think this year is extremely variable, depending on where you are. I drive a lot between 3 counties pretty regularly, and even though all this area is roughly the same geographically, theres been some huge differences. Of course the rainfall is just one of them, so the leaves this year are different, and I think I've determined that the rain and temps this year, or lack of rain in the Summer (other than August) played a huge role, as well as the extreme, unending heat. I don't really keep annual notes/commentary but this year just going from memory is overall not as pretty or showy here, or even in the adjoining areas really, but it was variable somewhat. There are some good varieties, namely the Dogwoods, the Crepes, and the Sugar Maples..those are about the only three types I'm seeing with excellent color and probably the best color I've ever noticed. The crepes and Dogwoods everywhere I'm seeing here are unusually deep Purple, the Crepe Myrtles much more orange than i've ever seen, the Bradfords are probably a little more colorful as well., and the Sugar Maples are about what they normally are, which is always colorful (my fave). But far and away, when you view all the trees splashed against the backdrop, this year is nowhere near the color canopy as most years, so for the overall score, I give it a "D" here..might as well be an "F", with it the worst I can ever remember to be honest, but it feels wrong to give nature an "F" on her colors. Bottom line, the extreme heat that started early and ended very late, coupled with hardly any rain except for August, did the trees in , atleast here.

[NEGa]

<br />Funny there is so much difference between here and there. I'd give it an A here. My water oaks are beautiful this year which is a strange site indeed because most years they either just turn brown and fall off or keep them. This year they are a pretty yellowish/orange. In fact every tree here looks good. Everyone has been saying it's been the best they have seen in years.<br />

Lol - that is odd. From mby up towards Rosie we missed a fair amount of rain that others got...maybe that had something to do? The maples and ginkos were pretty, oaks hickories etc very very bland. A majority of the leaves have already fallen. It was almost like we never had a 'peak' time, but the leaves have been changing and falling for a while over several weeks.

[Itunis]

Lol - that is odd. From mby up towards Rosie we missed a fair amount of rain that others got...maybe that had something to do? The maples and ginkos were pretty, oaks hickories etc very very bland. A majority of the leaves have already fallen. It was almost like we never had a 'peak' time, but the leaves have been changing and falling for a while over several weeks.

Here we got a decent amount of rain relative to the rest of the SE this fall, and we also had the same drawn out leaf season. Maybe it has to do with the early Oct cold shot getting the color change started, but then warm October weather slowing down the process?

[FoothillsNC]

some pictures from my place.

[Solak]

Took these today -- we don't have many leafy trees.... 95% pines, so we appreciate whatever color we can garnish.

[FoothillsNC]

Took these today -- we don't have many leafy trees.... 95% pines, so we appreciate whatever color we can garnish.

nice pics, esp. the Dogwood.

[Gastonwxman]

Here's three from here that I have.  This is what most of the trees look like in my area.  

http://tinypic.com/u...g4e8Yh4l5k2TGxc

http://tinypic.com/u...Yzur4h4l5k2TGxc

http://tinypic.com/u...jlE7oh4l5k2TGxc

You can see how a few of those trees look after all the wind that blasted through yesterday, not to mention the slight bit of green that's still apparent like the tree in the back on the third picture..      

By the way, lovely pictures there FoothillsNC.  Looks like you live in a beautiful area from what I'm seeing.  The first picture looks similar to my grandpa's backyard (lives in Kings Mountain).

[DaculaWeather]

I have to agree with FoothillsNC. I'm in pretty much the same boat here. My Sugar Maples were terrible this year, they started early, turned a yellowish brown and then fell. On the other hand, there is a huge oak in the next yard that's just now beginning to turn. It's been a very long drawn out leaf season here. There are still quite a few trees that have excellent color, but they are not the majority by any stretch of the imagination.

[GaffneyPeach]

I'm glad others are seeing this multi-peak season, too. I wasn't impressed with the 'normal' peak around Halloween. Last week was another peak and it was amazing. Today I'm seeing the larger-than-life oak tree is just starting to turn. Bradford pears are still green. :/

...maybe winter will take it's cue from autumn...multiple peaks.

[dsaur]

I'm glad others are seeing this multi-peak season, too. I wasn't impressed with the 'normal' peak around Halloween. Last week was another peak and it was amazing. Today I'm seeing the larger-than-life oak tree is just starting to turn. Bradford pears are still green. :/

...maybe winter will take it's cue from autumn...multiple peaks.

I just took a drive yesterday south and west of here and was amazed at the color I was seeing. My peak was over last weekend, but now I'm seeing a reddening of all the trees that are left, and that drive yesterday scored a firm B in my book...some great trees all along the way. Then I headed up to Atlanta and saw little or nothing after we left southern Fayette Co. This appears to be the fall that keeps on giving, if you're south enough T

[Itunis]

Things are pretty bare here, there are maybe 1 or 2 trees IMBY with a meaningful number of leaves. I did the last leaf raking today, took me 3 hours and I filled up 10 big refuse bags

[GaWx]

I just took a drive yesterday south and west of here and was amazed at the color I was seeing. My peak was over last weekend, but now I'm seeing a reddening of all the trees that are left, and that drive yesterday scored a firm B in my book...some great trees all along the way. Then I headed up to Atlanta and saw little or nothing after we left southern Fayette Co. This appears to be the fall that keeps on giving, if you're south enough T

I don't know, Tony. It is still giving in the N/NE Atlanta burbs. Just yesterday (11/20), I drove along I-285 east to Spaghetti Junction. From there, I drove up I-85 into Gwinnett County. I have to say that I was very impressed with the many intensely beautiful trees (especially reds). In these areas, it appears to me that they are still in/near a peak (I'm assuming it is their second peak) and that it is very impressive. I've now decided to raise this year's overall leaf season grade for the area from N to NE of Atlanta from my initial grade of borderline B/C to a full fledged B. I've also decided to call the peak of the season in that region a quite late ~11/18 as opposed to ~11/14.

[dsaur]

I don't know, Tony. It is still giving in the N/NE Atlanta burbs. Just yesterday (11/20), I drove along I-285 east to Spaghetti Junction. From there, I drove up I-85 into Gwinnett County. I have to say that I was very impressed with the many intensely beautiful trees (especially reds). In these areas, it appears to me that they are still in/near a peak (I'm assuming it is their second peak) and that it is very impressive. I've now decided to raise this year's overall leaf season grade for the area from N to NE of Atlanta from my initial grade of borderline B/C to a full fledged B. I've also decided to call the peak of the season in that region a quite late ~11/18 as opposed to ~11/14.

Glad to hear it, Larry. Now my reds are really starting to kick in. It is kind of like the past few weeks have been a general yellowing, and now the red trees are kicking in. I took that same trip over to Ptree City today and saw some nice oaks this time, but the best trees from Fri. were already shedding big time.

Hope Perry is going to participate once some real chances start to happen. Tony

[GaWx]

Glad to hear it, Larry. Now my reds are really starting to kick in. It is kind of like the past few weeks have been a general yellowing, and now the red trees are kicking in. I took that same trip over to Ptree City today and saw some nice oaks this time, but the best trees from Fri. were already shedding big time.

Hope Perry is going to participate once some real chances start to happen. Tony

I hope to see Perry, too. He often has lots of good info/data/experiences/insight to share.

I drove down I-75 south yesterday (11/21) and was quite impressed with the colors from Atlanta south to nearly the city of Forsyth. Lots of beautiful eye candy.

[GaWx]

Attached are two fall leaf photos from the Dunwoody area of the north Atlanta suburbs. The first was taken ~11/18. The second one was taken just yesterday (11/21). That is indicative of how late/long this second peak is continuing: