The latest fall colors report has been issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and it is peak season across south central Iowa. Their most recent update from the end of last week highlights that cooler nights and sunny days have moved along the fall color season nicely. Cottonwoods are turning gold, shagbark hickory is showing yellow. river birch is bright yellow, hazelnuts are reddish-purple, some walnut trees are yellow, bur oak and swamp white oak are just starting to turn yellow, very few white oaks are turning purple, silver maples are changing to yellow, and hard maples are showing early burgundy and orange. Drought stress is also evident across the area, and this week’s burst of near record cold will likely accelerate the dropping of several leaves.