Autumn Color 2020_High Knob Massif Area
Autumn color has advanced significantly across the area since the beginning of this week, with conditions on 9 October featuring an array of nice colorations across many locations along and north of the High Knob Massif (Clintwood-Pound to Norton-Wise), with this weekend (10-11 October) through next weekend (17-18 October) expected to offer some of the best color above 3000 feet.
If color continues to advance rapidly below this elevation, a general peak will occur by 17-18 October in locations along and northwest-north-northeast of the High Knob Massif.
As autumn color begins peaking at upper elevations, remnant rains from Hurricane Delta will overspread the mountain region this weekend, with additional showers and thunderstorms into early next week.
Moderate to heavy rainfall, wind driven within upper elevations, will be detrimental to some leaves.
Time will tell what impact it has on the general peak, with brightening color on some trees as other trees experience leaf drop into next week. Trees with bright color currently, standing within exposed locations, will be at greatest risk of leaf fall.
Models are forecasting a general 1.00″ to 4.00″, with locally more in favored upslope locations and less in downslope locations on general SSE-SSW air flow trajectories across the southern Appalachians.
Heaviest rains are expected Sunday as the remnant core of Delta pushes across the region.
Colder Trend – Second Half of October
A colder trend in modeling is showing up during the second half of October, with high latitude blocking predicted to develop within positions that favor enhanced eastern USA upper air trough formation.
