Fall colors peaking; head south for best views this weekend

This is it, Minnesota, your last shot before the gray curtain descends.

Fall colors are at their beauteous peak or just a notch past in the southern half of the state. Up North, the colors are mostly past their prime.

Minnesota's a big state from north to south, so the colors change at different times.

According to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), colors in the southern half of the state, including the Twin Cities, are at their best right now. By this weekend, they may be just past top-notch — St. Cloud already is. And a drive along the shore of Lake Superior will no longer sing with the blazes of glory of even a week ago.

On its website, the DNR suggests the top viewing spots of the week. One is Afton State Park, just east of the Twin Cities along the St. Croix River. Some trees at the hiker-friendly park already have lost their leaves, but there's still plenty of color enhanced by the magic of the river.

Another recommendation is to head south of Northfield to Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, which has the added attraction of a waterfall.

Twin Cities meteorologist Paul Douglas said south is the direction to take this weekend for full foliage, where colors are still growing bolder.

Maybe make a short stop in Red Wing for lunch. The drive wending along the Mississippi River feels uncharacteristically mountainous for the Midwest. "The bluffs help show off the color," Douglas said. "It's more three-dimensional, it's more immersive."

And the weather's going to be good. "More September than October," Douglas said of the weekend. "It will be fairly nice considering we could be knee deep in snow this time of year."

He said he expects temperatures to be near 60 and the skies partly sunny this weekend with similar conditions the following weekend.

To get a full view of the best pockets of color, check out the DNR's website for fall colors, tinyurl.com/zqt76w5.

Bask in the bittersweet beauty of fall while you can. Nobody's ever been overcome by the beauty of sun reflecting off snirt.

Twitter: @rochelleolson