🍁 Our fall foliage forecast

Temperatures are dropping, it's getting darker earlier and the smell of pumpkin spice has been wafting from coffee shops for weeks.

Yes, but: No matter what the calendar says, for us it's not officially fall until the leaves change.

State of play: Central Ohio should start seeing pops of color next week, according to the foliage prediction map from smokymountains.com.

• Color should peak by Oct. 24 for about a week. By Halloween, it'll start to dull.

The intrigue: That is, if our always unpredictable weather cooperates.

• Last year's unseasonably warm fall convinced many trees it was still summer well into October. A delayed display of reds, yellows and oranges appeared only briefly before winter struck.

How it works: As the days shorten and temperatures drop, trees sense winter is coming and stop producing chlorophyll, their green pigment that turns light into food.

• The remaining pigments let leaves show their true colors.

What they're saying: "Sunny days and cool nights, that's the key recipe for the best fall colors," David Parrott, fall color forester for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, tells Axios.

• Mostly normal summer rainfall helps too, so this fall's forecast is "looking very good."

What we're watching: ODNR publishes a fall color progress map to help with planning leaf-peeping trips. They'll start posting weekly video updates next week, Parrott says.

🍂 Our favorite fall spots:

• Blendon Woods: Enjoy a picnic or meander on trails surrounded by towering trees.
• Whetstone Park: Perfect for a hike along the creek.
• Duranceau Park: A hidden gem offering secluded views of the Scioto River.