Contrary to popular opinion, frost will kill leaves before brilliant colors have had a chance to be seen.

Chemicals creating the different colors we appreciate have been present in the leaves all summer. The oxygen generating, green chlorophyll, covers up two other yellow pigments or colors called carotene and xanthophyll. The red color appears when the leaf produces chemicals called anthocyanins from sugars. Bright days and cool nights favor brighter red displays.

With three hours less daylight in early September, cooler nights, and more sunlight reflected due to a lower angle of the sun, leaves produce less chlorophyll. As the remaining chlorophyll breaks down the other colors begin to peep through. The reds and purples dominate as cool nights enable leaves to convert sugars trapped there.

Maples, sumacs, sassafras, black gum, sweet gum, sourwood, dogwood, scarlet and northern red oak produce brilliant combinations of yellow and red while ginkgo, hickory and yellow popular display golden yellow.

Fall fireworks are at their best if: the latter days of September and early October continue bright and sunny, the nights are crisp and cool, Jack Frost does not appear, and there are no extended windy, rainy periods. Generally, the fireworks start around the middle of October at higher elevations and gradually move toward the coast. If you plan on going to the mountains for the show, there are several phone numbers to call for color information. The Ashville Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-257-1300, the NC Division of Travel and Tourism at 1-800-VISIT NC (1-800-847-4862) and the Blue Ridge Parkway at 1-704-298-0398 will be glad to help. The Weather Channel also gives fall color reports from time-to-time.

Revised 2/16/2006.