PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The tapestries of fiery reds, warm oranges and bright yellows that blanket the state’s forests make autumn a favorite time of year for many Pennsylvanians. And the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, not wanting anyone to miss a moment of the show, is offering weekly fall foliage updates.
Available every Thursday, the DCNR’s autumn leaves bulletins offer a kind of a play by-play-on where and when peak leaf-viewing is happening, from the lakefront northwest to the urban southeast, says Kelly Sitch, an ecologist for Pennsylvania’s Department of Forestry.
He says the peak of vibrant leaf colors will most likely happen a little bit earlier this year than in years past.
“It’s Influenced by a variety of factors,” Sitch said. “It has to do a lot with temperature, also the moisture levels from the summer into the early fall. So every year is a bit different in that way.”
There are a lot of options for people who live in Greater Philadelphia.
“Generally things have already started turning up in the northern tier of the state. I suspect it will still be two or three weeks before we see peak color in the southeast,” Sitch said.
“Now, if you are willing to travel farther afield, there are state forests throughout the central part of the state, up into the Poconos. It really is depending on how far folks want to travel to see some of the color.”
The updates can be found on the DCNR and on the Pennsylvania Tourism Office websites.