As South Carolina enters peak fall foliage season, travel experts are warning about the potential hazards associated with what is often considered a picturesque annual occurrence.
According to the Auto Club Group, vehicle owners should be on the lookout for leaves piling up both on their automobiles and along the roadway - as each can present unsuspecting problems.
As leaves begin to separate from trees, vehicles often become a landing zone, and due to their acidity, the debris can dull or stain an automobile’s paint job.
AAA says while it might seem easy to simply rinse away residue from the leaves, damage can occur much faster than many realize, especially when moisture becomes trapped between the car and the foreign matter.
The group’s experts recommend removing leaves from your car by hand or by using an air blower, as brooms and brushes can scratch the paint and cause additional damage.
Additionally, piles of leaves that accumulate can lead to unpleasant odors entering the vehicle’s ventilation system and may interfere with electronic components.
AAA also warns that fallen leaves collecting on roadways can become as slick as ice, significantly reducing tire traction.
Drivers are encouraged to slow down when traveling over large patches of leaves and to increase their distance between other vehicles - including cyclists and motorcyclists, who can also easily lose traction.
“If you do skid or hydroplane on wet leaves, don’t panic or slam on your brakes. Instead, steer in the direction you want to go and release the gas pedal,” staff with AAA stated.
Making sure tires are properly inflated and have sufficient treads are additional steps drivers can take to minimize the risk of losing traction.
Fortunately for drivers in South Carolina, roadways typically do not become heavily covered in leaves until after the height of the foliage season, which lasts about a week to 10 days depending on the region.
Palmetto State fall foliage outlook
In the higher elevations outside Greenville, peak color is arriving and will quickly spread across the state over the next three weeks.
Data from ExploreFall.com shows that peak foliage is expected in downtown Greenville by Halloween and around Columbia by the second week of November.
This season’s colors are expected to be somewhat muted due to the intensifying drought throughout much of the state.
Drought conditions can alter the chemistry within trees, affecting both chlorophyll and sugars -two key elements that influence the vibrancy of fall colors.
When rainfall is scarce, leaves often turn brown and fall early, which can shorten the autumn display.
By the final days of November, nearly the entire Palmetto State will have reached or passed peak color, with only a few coastal communities, from the Savannah River Valley through Charleston and up toward Myrtle Beach, retaining any hints of color.
Vegetation that loses its leaves will remain bare through the first half of winter, with signs of the leaf-out process beginning in late February or March.