It’s October, but it seems like someone forgot to tell the trees at Coopers Rock State Forest, just outside of Morgantown.

Gerard Foerster, a German line dancer traveling through the eastern U.S., said he’s a little disappointed in the lack of seasonal display in the forest after passing through other regions.

“The color in [the] Blue Ridge Mountains is better,” he said. “[It] was yellow and red. But here, only green.”

For the past several years, the state of West Virginia has invested in tools and resources to help travellers to the Mountain State avoid this fate. But knowing when colors appear — and peak — can be tricky.

Jeremy Jones, director of the West Virginia Division of Forestry, said the science of why leaves change helps officials to understand where the best colors will appe

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