A lot of folks love this time of the year as we look forward to those beautiful fall colors. I do as well, but once the leaves come down I do not look forward to raking my yard.

Why do we get the change in the color? Obviously, it is the shorter days as we receive less and less sunlight. Inevitably the shadows get longer as the chlorophyll, which is the green pigment, begins to break down. As the green fades, we are left the colors of yellow, orange and red, which becomes more prominent. There are other ingredients that may also “influence” the quality of the change such as the temperature, rainfall or even an early frost. I must admit, I do not put a lot of stock in these other elements to impact the change. But I guess it is fun to speculate how the weather can boost or mute the color during the season. It is believed that warmer temperatures can be a detriment to the color. But cooler temps can bring out the vibrancy of the colors. In addition, drier weather can contribute to less color, but in contrast, wet conditions can bring a more vibrant color scheme.

The latest fall foliage report for New York State shows this is your weekend to head to the Catskills or up toward the Adirondack Mountains. Places like Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake or Whiteface Mountain should be near peak for the season. If you prefer the Southern Tier, close to Hammondsport or Corning, the changeover is about 40 to 60 percent. And then there is Niagara, Rochester into the northern Finger Lakes where there apparently is a wide variation of color change. Reports indicate anywhere from only 10 percent near the lake shore to as high as 40 percent through portions of the Canandaigua area.

Let’s hope the nice weather matches up with the peak color change.