Early clouds, breaking for sun, easterly winds. Thay kept the temps from falling off overnight except for a brief initial drop at nightfall last night at some of the cold pockets
Temps today (difficulty getting 3pm to midnight to load in the lower 48 view)
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Surface features and 500mb height anomalies and flow
Pics today-
Near Bittinger 2nw
Lots of drop on the maples, still some color. Birches are yellow, beech beginning to turn a rusty orange tinge, hickory a dry brown edge, oaks green(one pic gives a great example of oak vs maple), cherry trees have dropped a bit with minimal color
Early morning while the trees were a bit damp provided the best color. Once the sun came out, dried off, the vibrance goes away
Deep Creek Lake
East wind making some whitecaps today. Southern and eastern side of Meadow Mt is primarily oak. Meaning it remains green longer. One you get to Cherry Creek and up, a birch, to maple on up Cherry Creek become dominant.
Cherry Creek Cove and up along Cherry Creek
Birches are in color along Cherry creek, and once up near the Rock Lodge and out, the maples have either already fell, or are yet in color. Oaks green,
Further north where the north branch of the Cassleman crosses Rock Lodge Rd, backdropped by Brenneman Hill.
A location with an abundance of maple…for this sequence a series of several pics of transition to today. Lots of maple drop through this area..
Breezy, clouds breaking early, much cooler fall like day
Temps today
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Surface features and 500mb height anomalies and flow
Pics today-
Dolly Sods- Bear Rocks, upper Red Creek area
Fall foliage is on the tail end in this area. The larger trees, primarily maples have lost a great deal of foliage this past week. The heath reds, while still nice, have also lost a fair amount of foliage. Still some pockets where that is not the case. With a good sun angle, even those thinner areas still illuminate for some nice pics.
South from Bear Rocks
Around Laneville, look up to Weiss, out to 32, and up Bald Knob
Foliage up top is well past peak. The maples are bare for the most part up high. With a few random exceptions . The birch on Weiss has come and gone in the week. Some patches of nice color down low. The main green foliage on the hillsides are locust, cherry with some beech. Locust and and cherry are blahhhh. The valley birch should become nice this coming week. (Towards the resort)
Into the valley….
The evening sun helping to enhance the colors on the hillside, vs a midday sun angle
A look at that spot 6 days ago
Over Canaan Mountain
Foliage here, its lost some of the bright maple foliage, but a fair amount left.
Quick check on the Blackwater Canyon
Yellows progressed a little, with cooler in play, these should speed up some
Mammatus Clouds
Rock Lodge Rd south of Bittinger
Sunset west of Bittinger
Lots of maple foliage lost here also, too dark for pics. Tomorrow….
Back to Baldy for some foliage progression highlights..
“Highlights” may be a tad dramatic, but here’s a timeline. All pics labeled.
In other news…..
Lost hiker on Dolly Sods. While more of a case of a lack of ability to contact her family, was located, safe, at approximately 3pm this afternoon, after last contact being on Thursday….
Surface features and 500mb height anomalies and flow
Pics today-
Cassleman Valley south of Grantsville
Maples in this area showing nice color
Swallow Falls State Park
The birch are really nice along the Yough right now.
Cranesville area
The swamp has some color, but like elsewhere, the maple is dropping fast. Some nice maples have shed lots of colorful foliage The hillsides, it appears a little color, but lots of greens and bare trees. Especially on the windy west facing sides.
The Yough at Sang Run
Some decent color, not alot.
Bittinger area
Maples have peaked and foliage dropping, birch are nice along the rivers. Oaks as typical, green. This area has a lot of maple.
Rainy, foggy morning…clearing afternoon. A nice rainfall.
Temps today
Radar
Satellite
Flow
Surface features and 500mb height anomalies and flow
Pics today-
Starting off with Dolly Sods. The reds at Bear Rocks are really good, even in the midst of the fog. There is a little green yet in them, however there is also deep reds falling off. This is pretty well peak.
BEAR ROCKS
Elevation 3950-4000′
Quick look at the leaf drop off those reds, rain and wind will continue to drop the deepest reds as any remaining green changes. Hence why it’s likely as good as it gets.
The drive south from Bear Rocks
The color with the rain was very vibrant.
Down to Red Creek, out past the Miller Farm, up to Canaan Valley, over Canaan Mt to Davis
The maples really popping the the Valley and over Canaan Mt. This should be peak week for them. 2 winds events and a windy, rainy cold front early next week likely will bring a lot to the ground. The rain added to the vibrance.
Elevations along the Rt…. 2500′ along Red Creek to over 3700′ across Canaan Mt at Canaan Heights. Canaan Valley 3200+ along 32. Surrounding peaks 4000-4770 at Porte Crayon the top SE of the Miller farm.
Blackwater Falls State Park into the Canyon
Colors here are nice on top and the birches of the Canyon beginning to transition. Despite the warm next few days, next week(8th through 13th) should peak the canyon. Pretty typical timing.
Elevations of the pics here, 3150′ along the rim to 3100 at Pendleton overlook. The Canyon falls below 2000′ as you look way downstream.
Thomas to Backbone (219 North)
Colors in this stretch are peaking and in spots a fair amount of leaf drop. This leaf drop is generally from cherry trees which aren’t all that in terms of pretty foliage, and from the vibrant maple. Yes, there are still some to change, but I’d label this area peak due to the fact when any remaining green changes, the most vibrant colors today will be down .
Elevations through the area of these 2 pics 2960′ to 3150′. Backbone Mt rises over 3300′ as 219′ crest over the summit heading north.
Deep Creek Lake to the Bittinger area to Grantsville area.
The Deep Creek area mountainsides, especially the east and south slope of Meadow Mt is largely oak. Which is primarily green and remains so well into October. As you near Cherry Creek, birches and maples begin to become dominant and more maples and some birches towards Bittinger, with some beech (This area should be peak on the reds and yellows of the maples this week with incoming windy rainy cold front next week) with vibrant maples in the Cassleman Valley area, with a dull locust, cherry blend.
Elevations over this area of pics, 2150′ (along the Cassleman just north of Maple Grove Rd)-3020′ on Meadow Mt at the state park. Elsewhere in between.
Surface features and 500mb height anomalies and flow .
Pics today
Seneca Rocks
Elevation- From around 1530 at the base, 2350 at the rocks. (1.2 mile hike one way)Some yellows in the foliage, with lots of greens on the hills on the eastern side of the Allegheny Front. Late Oct peak. Looking out towards Green Knob, and the Plains to the west at 4700’+. Over a 3000′ vertical in view from atop the rocks.
How about that for a hardy tree
FR 70 to the Roaring Plains
This area was pretty well peak on birch, maples and the heath. Some of the heath reds were as vibrant as I’ve seen. (The greens mixed in is Mountain Laurel, its green year round)Almost a surreal feel of an Alaskan experience in the midst of the walk.
Elevations through the photos generally in the 4100-4550′ range
Just when you think it’s as good as it gets, you come out to this section…. the only think missing was a moose. When the sun caught those reds at the right angle, wow…..the reds are not edited or enhanced.
Whitmer, upstream along the Gandy, then to Spruce Knob Lake and east to 28
This section is peaking on color south of Whitmer and its showing off. Lots of vibrant maples. Its peak. Only can go down from here. Any rain, wind and especially early next week will limit this area quickly.
Elevation through this area generally 2750-4050
North through the valley and towns, areas of Cherry Grove, Circleville, Judy Gap
Patchy low color in the valleys on the east side.
Elevations generally 2200′ south to 1900′ north on the valley bottom from the picture locations. Surrounding mountains higher from that.
On top the Allegheny Front on 33, headed back to High Mt near Harman
Elevations 3250′ on Rt 33 at the the Allegheny Front, over 4400 on the surrounding Mts ….sunset photos at 3670′.
Surface features and 500mb height anomalies and flow
Pics today
Bald Knob at Canaan
This area on top is now just past peak. The maple colors are dropping as evident if you compare the previous Bald Knob photos. The heath has lost a lot of foliage as well. Over on Weiss Knob viewed from Bald Knob, the birch color has filled in fairly fast. The valley maples are coming in nice, birches on the transition. Locust, cherry, blahhh
Elevation on top Baldy 4350′
Canaan Valley
Maples rapidly changing, birches starting, some (most)of the best colors are from them …also a morning rain shower pushing through, a few showers falling from the smallest of clouds…
Canaan Mountain
Up on top of Canaan Mt is much different than being on the east side of Canaan Mt. (Especially the southern end on the east side where color lacks) On top, lots of maple, and it appears alot of stressed maples due to the terrain they grow in. Boggy wet areas, cold pockets. These maples are at or just past peak. I love the area for early color, much earlier than today. Today still held decent color though
Over the Allegheny Front on Rt 33 to Seneca Rocks
Spotty colored foliage top to bottom …right on the rocks, decent foliage
Up n over Spruce
Maples coming in strong in spots, overall just a dull look to the west(despite Gandy Creek area being great) and the typical green to the east.
Sinks of Gandy
A dry look with some color right at the Sinks area. Much more down the Gandy…
For the best color…..Down the Gandy from the Sinks to just south of Whitmer. Peak, bright and fantastic color
Allegheny Mountains Weather 