Smith County Weather Report – October 8, 2020

October 8, 2020

by Steve Norris, Smith County Insider Weather Correspondent

This weekend we will be dealing with the remains of Hurricane Delta, and as I have discussed before, the movement of a system like this is very unpredictable once it makes landfall. We have a good chance of rain from Friday night through Sunday, but the exact path of the storm will determine who gets the heaviest rainfall, so keep up with the latest forecast. Rain chances are expected to be down in the slight category by Columbus Day with a high near 80 degrees. Cooler weather is expected from the 17th to the 21st with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s.

Late October will bring the most beautiful time of our autumn tree colors. The conditions that make for spectacular autumn color displays are a moist growing season followed by a dry autumn with warm, sunny days and cool (but not freezing) nights. In the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor. Generally, the most colorful trees in the fall are any type of Maple along with Dogwood, Oak, and Sumac, but we have many other beautiful varieties in this area. You can reach me anytime at weather1@charter.net.