Mid-October is typically considered the peak period for viewing the changing colors in Kentucky trees. It’s difficult to predict with any certainty the amount of color coming this fall.
Big Bone Lick State Park Manager Dean Henson says there's a 50-50 chance of seeing brilliant leaf colors over the next few weeks. He says it’s all tied to outdoor conditions. Henson admits rains this week have stripped off some already dry leaves. “If they’re that brittle and ready to come off, it’s probably just as well and get those out of the way," Henson says. "But, there’s still lots of leaves left on our trees and still a little time left to get those temperatures down near freezing and that ought to help punch the color.”
The peak time for observing fall colors in Kentucky is still probably a week or two away. Henson says predicting in advance when the leaves will change is hard to do. “We’ve been having some cooler temperatures which are desirable for fall color occurrence, but rains and wind at this point can be detrimental," he said. "So right now I’ll give it a 50-50 shot at having a memorable and spectacular fall color display.”
Henson says the eastern third of Kentucky is ripe with trees that have high color potential. He says the recipe for brilliant colors remains the same: cool evening temperatures above freezing and brightly lit sunny days.?
