Fall foliage in Mississippi

Mississippi’s fall comes in November and moves north to south with little elevation to complicate it. The hills of the northeast and the loess bluffs along the Natchez Trace turn in the first half of the month, and the Piney Woods and the Delta’s cypress and tupelo follow in the second half. Oaks, hickories, sweetgum and sassafras supply most of the color.

Those are the months when color is present somewhere in Mississippi, from its highest ground to its lowest. Any one location changes over a much shorter period than that.

Why the timing shifts from year to year

Shortening days start the process, so most places in Mississippi change at close to their usual time each year. Within the state, elevation and latitude account for most of the difference: higher and more northern ground generally changes first, and lower, sheltered ground last. Weather has more effect on how strong the color is than on when it appears. Cool nights and sunny days favor the reds, a dry summer mutes them, and a hard freeze or a windstorm can strip a slope in a day. What determines the timing goes through this in detail.

Nearby states

Fall color does not follow state lines. Mississippi borders:

• Alabama fall foliage
• Arkansas fall foliage
• Louisiana fall foliage
• Tennessee fall foliage

Timing for a specific place

This page describes a whole state, which is about as precise as a season can be described in words. Conditions at one overlook on one weekend are a narrower question, and that is the one Fallcast answers: an expected period of color for a specific location, with a confidence attached, updated through the season as the trees change. It is coming to iPhone this fall.

Questions, or somewhere in Mississippi you would like covered? Write to fallcastapp@gmail.com.