Leaves begin to change color in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The leaves are just beginning to change color in Minnesota.

The Department of Natural Resources has started updating its fall color reports and maps at noon every Thursday. The reports include percentage of color change, peak color projections, flowers and grasses in bloom, and three parks considered "hot picks" of the week.

The DNR also offers fall colors "to go" on a mobile website designed for smart phones and tablets.

DNR forest health specialist Jana Albers says the fall colors are arriving right on schedule in northern Minnesota, and they're making their way south. She says splashes of color are everywhere.

Staffers at Minnesota's state parks and trails have planned a variety of family-oriented special programs and events to coincide with their projected peak color times.