Fall Foliage Report: Near-peak colors on LI this weekend

The coming weekend brings near-peak foliage colors on Long Island, with Saturday likely presenting better viewing conditions.

Look for 80 percent change in leaves on Nassau’s trees — up to 70 percent for Suffolk’s trees, depending on the area, according to spotters for the weekly Fall Foliage Report, issued on Wednesdays by the state of New York.

With an eye to the week ahead, they’re talking about area leaves that will be featuring hues of orange, red, purple and green.

A bit behind, New York City’s leaves will be at the midpoint of change, reaching near peak in the week ahead, the report said.

Most of the rest of the state is at past peak — apart from peak areas that include the Poughkeepsie vicinity and Finger Lakes, according to the report issued by the Empire State Development’s I Love New York program.

Photo buffs are invited to share their shots on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using #ILoveNY and #iSpyNY.

As for the weekend, Saturday is expected to bring sun and clouds and highs around the mid-60s, said Rich Hoffman, News 12 Long Island meteorologist, on Thursday morning. Sunday was expected to bring mostly cloudy skies with afternoon showers.

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And, speaking of leaves — wet or not — they’re of special interest to the Long Island Rail Road. That’s because leaves that have fallen on tracks and are crushed by train wheels deposit a slimy substance, which cause slippery rail conditions, the LIRR said in its “Train Talk” flier.

Hence, at this time of year, trains may have to slow down sometimes for safety reasons, also, perhaps, allowing riders the chance to better appreciate the leaves that have stayed put.