California Fall Color

Dude, autumn happens here, too.

Color spotter Richard McCutcheon sends a link showing how this past week’s series of  storms stripped Plumas County’s Indian Valley of color and flooded fields and roads.  A phenomenon called an “atmospheric river” carried three tropical storms from Hawaii to California, deluging the north state.  McCutcheon reports his area was without power for nearly 39 hours.  To see more of his photos, CLICK HERE.

Past Peak – Plumas County - Recent storms have washed away what remaining color was on trees.

Location: Emigrant Gap, Blue Canyon Nyack Airport
Temperature: 44.6 °F
Humidity: 24%
Dew point: 12.2 °F
Wind speed: 5km/hr
Wind direction: 200°
Cloud cover: overcast

A cold winter storm is passing in waves through Northern California, bringing colder temperatures, rain, snow and, most distressingly, wind.

General Update: The storm is affecting fall color in the Sierra and Gold Country, as seen in this photo at left sent from Greenville (Plumas County) by Jeff Luke Titcomb.  Trees that were full of fall color (see photo above) are now covered with snow in the Northern Sierra.  About 15% of leaves that had changed color were blown off branches, causing a colorful shower to be carried away in swirling chaos.  Still, a lot of color remains, particularly among leaves that were still short of peak.

Leaves that are still green or lime, even many that have just turned yellow, will stay hanging from branches, unless the winds blow above 15 mph.  From forecasts seen so far, it appears trees below 4,000 in elevation will be mostly spared the brunt of the storm, though those above that elevation are likely to be rain and snow damaged and – in places where wind is high, stripped from branches.

Pick of the Week is Yosemite Valley, where the color is peaking with color yet to develop on some Pacific dogwood and black oak.

Here’s the latest roundup:

High Sierra

75 – 100% – Bishop, Crowley Lake, Lower Rock Creek, June  Lake, Walker River –  Specific locations in these areas of the Eastern Sierra are still showing beautiful color, though the entire Eastern Sierra is now approaching Past Peak.  With snow falling at higher elevations, this is likely the last week to see color in the Eastern Sierra.

Past Peak – Bishop Creek, McGee Creek, Convict Lake, Lee Vining Canyon, Lundy Canyon, Virginia Lakes, Twin Lakes, Sonora Pass, Monitor Pass and Mammoth Lakes - While leaf peeping has ended at these locations, Mammoth Mountain opened for skiing and boarding!  Winter has officially arrived at Mammoth Lakes.

75 – 100% – Yosemite Valley – Photographer Michael Frye reports today that color has multiplied in the past week and Yosemite Valley is peaking now, with still some green leaves to show.  He predicts the combination of a light dusting of snow with the fall color should make for spectacular photography this weekend, if the leaves survive the cold and possible wind.  “The oaks seem to be particularly nice this year,” he reports. Go Now!

Central Valley

75 – 100% – Sacramento – The urban forest of Sacramento has shown spectacular fall color the past week and still has many landmark trees showing yellow and red.  A storm passing over Sacramento will strip leaves from many of the trees that peaked first, but lots of color can be enjoyed between breaks in the storm.

North Coast

75 – 100% – Redwood National Park – Grant Roden reports spots of yellow and red appearing on bigleaf maple and red alders, contrasting with the deep green of the coastal redwoods.  In support, on our Facebook page Richard Stenger posts a photo of bigleaf maple surrounded by redwoods, taken at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

Shasta Cascade

75 – 100% – Siskiyou County – Trees in the lower elevations are hitting their peak or are already beyond it. Cooler temperatures are expected to hit in the next few days so the leaves are expected to fall soon. Most leaves have hit bright colors of yellows and reds.

Modoc County

Past Peak – Modoc National Forest- Most of the trees are past their peaks. There may be a few left with some color, but have started to lose their leaves.

Past Peak – Alturas – Trees in this area are at their peak. Not too many leaves left on the trees.

Lassen County

75 – 100% – BLM Eagle Lake – The area of Eagle Lake in Lassen County is reporting trees at their peak! The trees are beautiful with red, orange, and golden leaves. Few are starting to fall!

Shasta County

75 – 100% – Whiskeytown National Recreation Area – The Whiskeytown NRA is at peak with lots of yellow and orange and some red near the visitor’s center.   Near Whiskeytown Falls, the bigleaf maple are brilliant yellow against green conifers.

50 – 75% – Redding – The color is most evident near the Sacramento River where bigleaf maple peaking.  In residential areas, look for brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow, and green. Oak trees are providing a show of yellow along winding roads in the green belt. Placer Road is like a dream where brightly colored trees surround a small pond. The sun shines through the trees like a stain glass window off La Paloma Way.

75 – 100% – Trinity County – Trinity County has reached its peak. Most of the trees are at full color, mostly yellow and oranges. Leaves have started to drop!

Tehama County

75% – 100% –  Lassen Volcanic National Park – Manzanita Lake is at 50-75%, with aspen still holding their golden color and Maples turning red.  Pacific dogwoods are turning red.  The main park road is now closed due to snow.  At the southwest entrance near Mineral, there is lots of yellow, still.

30 – 50% – Red Bluff- Red Bluff is showing its varied fall color with orange, red and yellow among native and exotic foliage.  Red Bluff should peak near Thanksgiving Day.

50 – 75% – Butte County – Much of Butte County is approaching peak color with lots of red and yellow. Trees will be hitting their peaks in the next few weeks, especially at Bidwell Park in the City of Trees.

75 – 100% – Plumas County – Look for gold and red colored oaks near Indian Valley and lots of cottonwood still holding their orange-yellow, though today’s winds may reduce the number of leaves on branches.  Until today, the weather has been sunny, but rain and snow should change leaf peeping prospects, shortly.

 

Location: Quincy, Calif.
Temperature: 30.2 °F
Humidity: 92%
Dew point: 28.4 °F
Wind speed: 15km/hr
Wind direction: 170°
Cloud cover: few clouds

75 – 100% – Indian Valley - Color spotter Jeff Luke Titcomb reports the Indian Valley, southeast of Lake Almanor is “at peak color right now.”

This scenic mountain meadow was so named in 1851 for the large number of native Maidu people living there.  Greenville is the largest town in the valley.  Other communities include Taylorsville, Crescent Mills and Canyon Dam.

The valley is considered to be one of the best places in Plumas County for a scenic drive, due to its being surrounded by mountains, its tree-lined meadow and ranches, old barns and grazing cattle.

 

75 – 100% – Taylorsville - Richard McCutcheon sends these snaps of cottonwood along Indian Creek in Taylorsville (Indian Valley, Plumas County, Northern Sierra).

This is likely the last weekend to see such brilliant color, so if you can get away… go now!

CLICK HERE to link to Richard’s blog and more photos.

 

Richard McCutcheon found these nuggets prospecting for fall color in Plumas County.  He reports the color is best in the high country, where it now can be seen at just about every turn.

75 – 100% – High Northern Sierra - Look for yellow aspen particularly in drainages of burned areas of previous forest fires.

Signs of change continue to progress  in the Southern Cascade and Northern Sierra.

Color spotter Sue Fischer of the Manzanita Lake Cabins in Lassen Volcanic National Park (Southern Cascade) sends these photos, showing the progression of color change.

15 – 30% – Manzanita Lake - Aspen along the shore of Manzanita Lake are showing more color, though it will likely still be two weeks before it approaches peak.

15 – 30% – CA-44 - Locust near Viola along Hwy 44 are coloring chartreuse to yellow, with hints of orange.

30 – 50% – Arlington Road - Color spotter Richard McCutcheon often  finds hidden gems along remote country roads.  A22, the Arlington Road from Hwy 89 east to Taylorsville in Plumas County, is one of those with surprises.  He spotted brush and fields wearing USC cardinal and gold on a recent drive to Taylorsville.

 

For more about the Shasta Cascade, visit www.shastacascade.org.

Location: Chico, CA
Temperature: 64.4 °F
Humidity: 59%
Dew point: 50 °F
Wind speed: 4km/hr
Wind direction: 130°
Cloud cover: scattered clouds

Most of the color in the Shasta Cascade is found above 8,000’ in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Aspen are showing bright yellow there.  Other areas are several weeks away from peak.  Color spotter Brittini McGuire sends the following report:

0 – 15% – Siskiyou County – Colors in Siskiyou County are just beginning to appear, with about 10% of trees showing lime & yellow.

0 – 15% – Modoc County – The Modoc National Forest and Alturas area are reporting 10% change. Though there is very little to no change at this point, cooler nights portend the shift to orange and yellow.

Lassen County:

0 – 15% – BLM Eagle Lake / Bizz Johnson Trail still only 5%.

0 – 15% – Lassen National Forest – 5% of aspens are exhibiting color.

Shasta County:

0 – 15% – Whiskeytown NRA – 10% of elms turning bright yellow and orange near the visitors center.

Trinity County:

0 – 15% – Weaverville Chamber – Lime and yellow is seen on 15% of trees.

Tehama County:

50 – 75% – Lassen Volcanic National Park – At 8,000′ and higher, aspens are approaching peak, with some losing leaves. At 6000’, the aspen are 30-40% and willows at 60%. Around 5000’ the aspens have a way to go, with 15% showing yellow.

0 – 15% – Butte County – Mostly lime green and yellow and just starting.

Plumas County:

0 – 15% – Plumas National Forest – The forest is beginning to show lime green and yellow on bigleaf maple. Some leaves are edged with red.

Location: Redding, CA
Temperature: 95 °F
Humidity: 16%
Dew point: 41 °F
Wind speed: n/a
Wind direction: n/a
Cloud cover: n/a

0 – 15% – Plumas County - Color spotter Karen Moritz reports northern Sierra nights are becoming much cooler with 5% of forests sparkling with fall color. Non-native trees and shrubs in Quincy have turned, with willow yellow-orange and rabbitbrush bright yellow in the woods. Plumas County shut its visitors bureau this year, so the many services the former Plumas County VB gave to leaf peepers will not happen this autumn.

Legendary service by Suzi Brakken and her “Awesome Autumn” crew included their cleaning windshields of visiting leaf peepers and putting signs in rear windows to identify vehicles that might stop suddenly to view Plumas County’s stunning autumn leaves.  Sadly, that’s all gone, as are the county’s visitor centers that used to promote fall color.

Karen reports, “There are chambers of commerce offices where folks can drop in, but due to budget problems, the only one normally open daily is the one in Graeagle. The Forest Service offices are open as usual, though, and they do a good job of helping visitors.” The Northern and Central Sierra typically follow the Eastern Sierra in their display of color… more reds in Plumas County, more pastel pinks and oranges at Yosemite. Though formal visitor information will no longer be available from Plumas County, keep visiting here and we’ll include any reports and photos received from local color spotters.

I’m often asked whether Autumn will arrive early or late, whether it will be long or short lasting, or whether the color will be spectacular or dull.  The signs of autumn begin in autumn when individual specimens turn color sooner than other nearby trees, shrubs or grasses.  That’s happened this year.  Our color spotters say they’re seeing signs, but they disagree on what they mean.  Here are reports across California, from top to bottom.

Plumas County – Emily Webb, the owner of Emily’s Garden in Quincy and a resident of the Indian Valley says her end of summer tradition is to “go out and try to collect acorns, which is tough because the squirrels always get them first. Which is supposed to mean that it’s going to be a long winter. This year however, I beat them to it as there were nice acorns everywhere! Perhaps we are in store for a mild winter? I’ve also noticed some leaves turning already on my daily drive up Hwy 89. This seems a bit early to me…but I can’t say why.”

Jeanne Brovelli, owner of Las Casa Bella Furniture in Quincy, makes pine needle baskets and says, “typically there are new pine needles on the ground for gathering in late August & September after some good winds. So far, I haven’t seen many at all so even though it is still early, I think we are going to have a late fall and probably a late winter too.”

Color spotter Richard McCutcheon who has provided great photos and reports to this blog over the years says, “I can judge when the colors are going to turn by my neighbor’s Virginia Creeper. I would say we are almost a month away from some real pretty colors,” in the northern Sierra.

Janice Robinson-Haman of the Gold Pan Lodge in Quincy reports that the ”deer herds seem to be HUGE this year. My Grandpa always told me that meant a rough winter, as there would be extra babies so that enough would survive. Big herds have been going through my yard in Beckwourth, and just saw a big herd crossing A13 at Lake Almanor.  The bears are also very, very busy this year, surely that means something?”

Ceci Reynolds, owner of a rental cottage on Spanish Creek in Quincy, says, “Last year my Black oaks produced very small acorns and we had little precipitation – a ‘mild winter’ – this year they are humongous.  So, I’m predicting lots of snow. Besides I have a couple of cords of Doug fir that hasn’t been split yet, so surely I’ll need it!”

Botanist James Belsher-Howe of the Plumas National Forest says he really can’t predict when the leaves will start changing, because it depends on such a combination of things, but he did say that even though we had a dry winter, the leaves in areas tied to water will be the same as usual. We may, though, see a difference in the oaks and other trees in dryer areas. He predicts the timing for those areas may be a bit earlier than usual. He has noticed that choke cherries are already starting to turn in Quincy, and that’s probably because of the previous dry winter.

The Feather River Land Trust’s Karen Kleven reports spotting wild rhubarb turning red along Spanish Creek in Quincy.  Indian Rhubarb is one of California’s brilliantly colorful ground plants, best seen along creek beds in the northern Sierra.

Color spotter Karen Moritz reports “very little color” in Plumas County, as yet.  She said the nights are just cool, not cold as yet (warm days and cold nights intensify the color, though it is less daylight that triggers the change).  She expects color to start appearing on schedule during the last week of September, first of October, which makes it pretty easy to plan a fall color trip there.  The excellent guide, ”Fall Colors of Plumas County” can be downloaded and printed from www.plumascounty.org (click “Awesome Autumn” button).  Localized reports are also posted on the site at the end of September.  0 – 15% – look to the drainages for the first signs of color.

Mono County – Fall color often shows first along the ground… grasses and shrubs that inhabit drainages can provide some of the most delicious eye candy of the season.  Carolyn Webb, reporting from the Virginia Lakes Resort in Mono County (Eastern Sierra)  at 9,770′ says drainages are showing color and lime is beginning to appear in the aspen along Virginia Lakes Road, south of Bridgeport.  Consider this to be one of the first areas to peak, about two to three weeks away.  0 – 15% – beginning to show color among the aspen.  The free Fall Color Guide to the Eastern Sierra is available online at www.monocounty.org.

Los Angeles County – The coastal community of Santa Monica seems an unlikely place to find fall color, though it can be beautiful, as the city has 20 public parks and more than 420 acres of public open space to explore.  Kelly Nagle reports that species found in abundance include exotic liquidambars (native to eastern North America and tropical areas of Mexico and Central America).  The firey color of these trees is dazzling.  Crape myrtles add ruby color, Jacarandas with their vibrant purple/blue flowers burst forth in color twice yearly: April/May and happily for leaf peepers in November and December.  Where else do autumn colors mix warm reds and yellows with blue on foliage , but in Southern California?  Other spectacular trees in Santa Monica are the impressively sized London Plane trees that shower falling leaves and cheerily yellow Ginkgos, lining boulevards.  In the Santa Monica Mountains, sycamore, Fremont cottonwood, willows, California black walnut and poison oak glow yellow-green, gold, auburn and crimson.  0 – 15% – LA County shows last along the coast from late November to early December.

San Diego County – Julian is one of the few places in Southern California where broad areas of natural color change occurs.  It’s due to Julian’s 4,200′ elevation and the fact that there are many oak trees studding the area’s mountainous landscape.  Color spotter Bobbi Zane advises that good places to the colore are along Hwy. 79 through the Cuyamaca Mountains, driving along the winding roads of Pine Hills, and along Farmer Road from town to the Menghini Winery.  However, the show is still a few weeks away.  Bobbi recommends “early October, peaking at the end of the month.”  In addition to the oaks, which provide orange-yellow color, there are pistach that turn bright red, and birch that become a firey deep red and gold.  Besides, a trip to Julian is never complete without picking up one of their famous, freshly baked pies.  0 – 15% three to four weeks away from showing.

There’s a mixed report from the northeast corner of California, with color past peak at the highest elevations, peaking at mid elevations and still coloring up at lower elevations.

Butte County:

30-50%- Butte County- It’s going to be a late, but spectacular fall for Butte County. Reds and oranges are really beginning to POP, but the colors are in no hurry to leave. There are still quite a bit of greenery around, so head to Butte County if you are looking to enjoy the fall transition!

Shasta County:

50-75% – Whiskeytown National Recreation Area- Autumn is in no hurry this year at the  Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. A beautiful place to see fall colors in the park is along the J F Kennedy Memorial drive with a few Oaks turning all shades of red, yellow, and gold. Expect the park to only get more beautiful as the month progresses!

75-100%- Burney Falls State Park- Autumn has arrived at Burney Falls State Park with the entire park coated in color from the ground up! Green colors are next to gone with great yellows and browns taking center stage. Pine needles are covering the floor and providing a great carpet of color to present the rest of the park’s foliage.

Tehama County:

Past Peak – Lassen Volcanic National Park- Winter has arrived at the Park and after about a foot of snow, most of  the fall colors have become dormant.

Lassen County:

75 – 100 %- Bizz Johnson Trail- Though past its color peak, the trail still has a lot to offer in terms of fall color. The Cottonwoods and Oak trees are full of soft yellows and oranges,  so whether you choose to bike, hike, or ride your horse, make sure to check out this display of autumn color.

Siskiyou County:

75 – 100%- Mt. Shasta- Mt. Shasta this week will be experiencing its peak in fall color. There are some trees that are beginning to lose leaves but in general, the broadleaf trees and plants are holding strong and being very persistent to hold onto their color. Expect to see an assortment of yellows, reds, golds and browns on everything from the thimbleberries that line the forest floor to the tips of the oaks, maples, and dogwoods.

Trinity County:

75-100%- Weaverville- Fall is peaking in Trinity County. For the most abundant color, we recommend sticking along the river and near the creek beds. The Oak and Maple trees are sporting excellent coats of yellows and oranges, and the shrubbery by the river is displaying some other beautiful golden shades. There is still time to check out these fall colors, so make your way over to Trinity County!

Plumas County:

Past Peak – Plumas County - The County is past its peak in the higher elevations, but there are still some colors to be seen in the lower elevations, especially in the Feather River Canyon Area. The Oaks and Aspens are still holding onto their color, but even they are not expected to last much longer. Enjoy the colors while you can because the forest is beginning to shift into her winter wardrobe.

Modoc County:

Past Peak – Modoc County- Due to the cold conditions, most of the fall colors have retreated until next year, but there still may be some color and leaves left on in the lower elevations for the avid explorer.