8 November 2021
Last week began as a warm colorful autumn and ended with frosty mornings. This week begins with bad air.
Before last week’s frost I found splashes of fall color including this amaranth in an unusual place at Phipps Conservatory. Click here to see where this red plant was growing.
On 4 November the leaves glowed yellow as the sun gained altitude at Frick. When the sun melted the frost, leaves quickly loosened and dropped from the trees.
On Saturday morning at Yellow Creek State Park the frost was beautiful, ephemeral and cold. Hoarfrost decorated the weeds in the parking lot.
Frost remained in a tree’s shadow but not for long.
Last week I re-learned how to dress for winter. This week will be warm with highs in the 60s, lows in the 40s, temperature inversions and bad air in Pittsburgh.
Roger Day captured these views of the Mon Valley yesterday morning, 7 November, from Frick Park’s Riverview overlook. The Allegheny County Health Department has issued an air pollution warning and the state DEP has issued a Code Orange warning. Read more here.
Don’t breathe!
(photos by Kate St. John & Roger Day)
iNaturalist.org is identifying the “colorful leaves” as Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica). Never identified that before, will have to look for it!
Steve, I don’t think it’s sumac because the fruits are small scaled structures like catkins. My guess is an alder. This was on the hillside near Phipps so it might be an escapee.