Autumn’s arrival has spurred area farmers to get busy with the harvest and others to take in the colors of the season on a weekend hike. Several area biking and walking trails are showing signs of the season with falling leaves and trees turning their leaves into yellow, red, and auburn hues.
The fall color report has just been issued and it looks like this:
Fall Color Report
| Report Date | Area | Description of Fall Color | Est. Peak Viewing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/27/2021 | NE Iowa | Hillsides still look mostly green with splashes of color from scattered trees. Sumac, Virginia creeper and dogwoods are turning red. The asters in the understory are in full bloom. | Oct. 5-10 |
| 9/24/2021 | NC and NW Iowa | Certain trees are showing shades of yellow, and a rusty red color has shown up. The sumac, chokecherry, virginia creeper and dogwood are showing deep purple, red and yellow. | Oct. 5-10 |
| 9/24/2021 | Central Iowa | The landscape is still mostly green but is becoming increasingly punctuated by yellows from ash, elm, and walnut. Poison ivy, sumac, and dogwoods are red along some roadsides. Drought has impacted many trees and will lessen some of this year’s colors. | Oct 9-17 |
| 9/20/2021 | SE Iowa | Some yellows are starting to dot the landscape. Poison ivy, dogwood, and sumac are starting to show reds and a little purple. | Oct. 20-27 |
| 9/24/2021 | SCentral Iowa | Yellow, reds, and purples are creeping in along forest and field edges with dogwood being reddish-purple and ivy and sumac bright red. Bottomland areas are also showing some yellow in walnut, cottonwood, and declining ash. Upland landscapes are still mostly green. | Oct. 15-20 |
| 9/27/2021 | WC and SW Iowa | The last of the prairie flowers are in full bloom and the bluestems are changing quickly. Harvest has begun and the apple orchards and pumpkin patches are busy. The driest slopes are showing yellows and reds. The cottonwoods along the river bottoms are just beginning. | Oct. 8-12 |
There are slight chances of showers and a possible thunderstorm in the area over the weekend with highs in the low 70’s. Hikers, walkers, bikers will have otherwise mostly cloudy skies to enjoy the local change of the seasons.
