AP-Travel Online, September 25th, 2006
Hopes are high for a brilliant fall foliage season this year in New Hampshire.
Last year, days of extended warmth and sunshine in late summer and early autumn delayed the traditional Columbus Day weekend start of the fall foliage season. After the color came, rainstorms knocked many leaves off trees.
This year, experts at the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension say maples already turning red will keep their color longer due to a good combination of summer rain and recent cool nights.
"This season's going to be spectacular," said Phil Auger of the Rockingham County division of UNH Cooperative extension.
Heavy rain this summer means trees soaked up plenty of water early in the season, and their roots are strong. This has triggered leaves to change color earlier because they aren't needed to gather energy for trees. Recent cool nights also have triggered an earlier end to photosynthesis and chlorophyll production _ which keeps leaves green _ so many trees from southern New Hampshire to the North Country already are already showing their reds, oranges and golds.
In particular, maples _ which turn brilliant red _ will keep their color longer, said Jon Nute, of UNH Cooperative Extension. Maples always change color first because they typically live in swamps where water is more plentiful.
Last year, foliage season peaked about two weeks after Columbus Day. This year, most of New Hampshire should reach peak during that holiday weekend, said Bob Edmonds, another UNH Cooperative Extension foliage expert. A state tourism web site _ http://foliage.visitnh.gov _ tracks foliage progress across New Hampshire.
Predictions for a colorful, long-lasting foliage season have state tourism officials looking forward to autumn, New Hampshire's second-busiest season for tourism.
Division spokeswoman Victoria Cimino said 7.6 million people are expected to visit New Hampshire this fall, an increase of 2 percent over last year.
