Fall in Alabama: Leaves help signal the change in season

Fall in Alabama unfolds a patchwork quilt of color as the greens of summer turn to glittering yellow poplars, scarlet dogwoods, orange maples and golden hickories.
The blend of brilliant autumn foliage, cooler temperatures and gentle breezes defines the change in seasons in the state.
Fall colors begin showing in the mountains of north Alabama in early October and then sweep across the region. Colors are at their peak from late October to early November. To view Alabama’s Fall Color Trail map and directions, go to http://www.alabama.travel/activities/tours-and-trails/fall-color-trail/.
Along with city parks in Opelika and Auburn, as well as nearby Chewacla State Park and Tuskegee National Forest, one popular place to visit for fall color is Cheaha State Park off of U.S. Highway 431 on AL 281. Some travelers enjoy taking AL 77, left off of U.S. Highway 431, just outside LaFayette, then right on AL 49 until it joins AL 281 to the park.
“If people plan on coming to see the leaves at Cheaha State Park, they need to do it this weekend,” said Brian Casey, assistant superintendent. “The leaves started to peak last week, and we have had some wind and rain to knock some of the leaves down.”
If you are headed to Cheaha Sunday, remember there is a race at the speedway, so you might want to avoid the traffic around Talladega, or join the crowd if you are a race fan.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System Web site (http://www.aces.edu) post, “Fall Leaf Color,” offers an explanation of why leaf colors change and what the conditions need to be for the best colors.
According to the site, “Leaves always contain several color pigments, but chlorophyll, the green pigment, usually dominates during the growing season. The first cool nights of fall trigger a halt to chlorophyll production and expose the carotenoids, oranges and yellows, underneath. In those plants that show fall yellow, carotenoids are always present along with the green so yellows and oranges are consistent from year to year.
“The red color from anthocyanins, however, is a produced pigment that varies according to several factors,” the site states. “Red color is actually a form of protection.  ...
“The darker color of red works like sunscreen to protect the leaves from sunlight damage and also lowers the leaf’s freezing point. ...
“The best conditions for a brilliant fall display are: warm, sunny days in October as the days grow shorter (in the 70’s); a lack of rainfall; and cool nights in the 40’s.”
Follow the state’s fall color trail at http://www.800alabama.com and look toward the bottom on the right of the Web site.