In response to Michael D. McCumber's message:

Autumn Leaves
The weather over the next five weeks will help decide just how much bounty we'll have with respect to the leaf color season. I've been closely tracking the weather's effects on autumn leaves in September and October for the past 12 years, and that has helped me gauge the peak (if any) time for color.
The ideal conditions for autumn are a string of dry cold clear nights with few bouts of rain as this stresses the trees and forces them to change all at once. We had this last year and it was the most colorful autumn I've seen, in the Laurel Highlands, since 2001. A wide temperature range from day time highs to day time lows brings a quick onset to the leaf's change from green to their most brilliant of color. I believe having some dry periods during the summer also contributes to a brilliant display of autumn color.
Conversely, the worst conditions are caused when you have consistently wet rainy weather, which also typically features less temperature ranges between night and day. With this situation only a few trees change color at any given time, and the lack of a quick cold onset seems to make the trees go from green to brown with very little color in between. Naturally, the rainy weather is often accompanied by wind that combines to cause rapid leaf drop — thus very little color is present in the forest canopy at any given time.
You'll always find the best color is in the mountains, as the quicker onset of cold weather there forces the trees to quickly change all at once.
The peak of color, if any (2002 didn't really have one), varies from year to year and location to location.
Here are some records I have for Ohiopyle State Park (Chestnut Ridge seems to be on par with them):
• 2000, peaked brilliantly on October 21 - trees were 95% color.
• 2002, October 21 the trees were 95% green with just some touches of autumn color! I don't believe Ohiopyle ever really had a peak of color.
• 2006, October 21 the trees were 70% full color with a peak around October 26.
Now for the higher elevations of Laurel Ridge (Kooser and Laurel Hill State Parks), and Somerset County:
• 2000, peaked brilliantly around October 12 - 14. A storm went through and the trees were completely bare of leaves on October 21.
• 2002, had a series of small peaks with limited bursts of color. October 21 most of the trees had yet to change color!
• 2006, peaked about October 17. Most trees were completely bare of leaves on October 21.
Now for the lower lands of Uniontown, Connellsville, Mount Pleasant, etc:
• 2000, the peak was right around October 30.
• 2002, I took pictures that featured trees with leaves as late as November 14! This year had completely lacked any appreciable color. Most trees dropped green leaves in November instead of colorful leaves in October.
• 2006, the peak was right around October 31.
—
My advice to anyone planning some autumn color leaf outings is the following, based on location.
• Laurel Ridge and east into Somerset County (Laurel Summit S.P., Laurel Hill S.P., Kooser S.P., Laurel Ridge S.P.): October 8 - 14.
• From Chestnut Ridge east to the slopes of Laurel Ridge (Lynn Run S.P., Ohiopyle S.P.): October 18 - 24.
• Lower elevations west of Chestnut Ridge: October 27 - 31.
Visiting these locations during the date ranges listed should ensure the trees will still have leaves. The dry weather projected for the next ten days will go a long way into stressing the trees to change color, but October is the key. The sooner the peak of autumn comes, the better the color.
Visiting all three areas during their likely peak periods will help you get the most out of the season. If you really like autumn leaves, you can get in on the action four times by visiting the high country of West Virginia (Blackwater Falls S.P., Canaan Valley S.P., Davis, WV) between October 5 - 9. Their 4000 - 4500 foot elevation yields a beautiful display of color, and its only about a 2 hour drive from the area.
Visiting Mount Davis in Somerset County usually peaks in color around the first week of October, and that is an option closer by. Drive from Salisbury through Mount Davis and down to High Point Lake on a Sunday morning has the added feature of Amish driving their horse and buggies to attend "Meeting House."

In response to Michael D. McCumber's message:

Autumn Leaves
The weather over the next five weeks will help decide just how much bounty we'll have with respect to the leaf color season. I've been closely tracking the weather's effects on autumn leaves in September and October for the past 12 years, and that has helped me gauge the peak (if any) time for color.
The ideal conditions for autumn are a string of dry cold clear nights with few bouts of rain as this stresses the trees and forces them to change all at once. We had this last year and it was the most colorful autumn I've seen, in the Laurel Highlands, since 2001. A wide temperature range from day time highs to day time lows brings a quick onset to the leaf's change from green to their most brilliant of color. I believe having some dry periods during the summer also contributes to a brilliant display of autumn color.
Conversely, the worst conditions are caused when you have consistently wet rainy weather, which also typically features less temperature ranges between night and day. With this situation only a few trees change color at any given time, and the lack of a quick cold onset seems to make the trees go from green to brown with very little color in between. Naturally, the rainy weather is often accompanied by wind that combines to cause rapid leaf drop — thus very little color is present in the forest canopy at any given time.
You'll always find the best color is in the mountains, as the quicker onset of cold weather there forces the trees to quickly change all at once.
The peak of color, if any (2002 didn't really have one), varies from year to year and location to location.
Here are some records I have for Ohiopyle State Park (Chestnut Ridge seems to be on par with them):
• 2000, peaked brilliantly on October 21 - trees were 95% color.
• 2002, October 21 the trees were 95% green with just some touches of autumn color! I don't believe Ohiopyle ever really had a peak of color.
• 2006, October 21 the trees were 70% full color with a peak around October 26.
Now for the higher elevations of Laurel Ridge (Kooser and Laurel Hill State Parks), and Somerset County:
• 2000, peaked brilliantly around October 12 - 14. A storm went through and the trees were completely bare of leaves on October 21.
• 2002, had a series of small peaks with limited bursts of color. October 21 most of the trees had yet to change color!
• 2006, peaked about October 17. Most trees were completely bare of leaves on October 21.
Now for the lower lands of Uniontown, Connellsville, Mount Pleasant, etc:
• 2000, the peak was right around October 30.
• 2002, I took pictures that featured trees with leaves as late as November 14! This year had completely lacked any appreciable color. Most trees dropped green leaves in November instead of colorful leaves in October.
• 2006, the peak was right around October 31.
—
My advice to anyone planning some autumn color leaf outings is the following, based on location.
• Laurel Ridge and east into Somerset County (Laurel Summit S.P., Laurel Hill S.P., Kooser S.P., Laurel Ridge S.P.): October 8 - 14.
• From Chestnut Ridge east to the slopes of Laurel Ridge (Lynn Run S.P., Ohiopyle S.P.): October 18 - 24.
• Lower elevations west of Chestnut Ridge: October 27 - 31.
Visiting these locations during the date ranges listed should ensure the trees will still have leaves. The dry weather projected for the next ten days will go a long way into stressing the trees to change color, but October is the key. The sooner the peak of autumn comes, the better the color.
Visiting all three areas during their likely peak periods will help you get the most out of the season. If you really like autumn leaves, you can get in on the action four times by visiting the high country of West Virginia (Blackwater Falls S.P., Canaan Valley S.P., Davis, WV) between October 5 - 9. Their 4000 - 4500 foot elevation yields a beautiful display of color, and its only about a 2 hour drive from the area.
Visiting Mount Davis in Somerset County usually peaks in color around the first week of October, and that is an option closer by. Drive from Salisbury through Mount Davis and down to High Point Lake on a Sunday morning has the added feature of Amish driving their horse and buggies to attend "Meeting House."