Summer has come and gone, and autumn is coming on. Can Old Man Winter be far behind?

Autumn arrives officially at 6:56 p.m. today.

The National Weather Service, in its first autumn forecast, calls for continued fall-like weather early this week. That means comfortable days and cool nights with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. But the extended outlook calls for partly cloudy skies with highs in the mid-60s and lows dipping to the mid-40s by week's end.

Cooler temperatures and normal precipitation may cause colorful leaves to emerge a week to 10 days ahead of normal. That means peak, fall colors will occur about mid-October in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri.

"Opportunities are plentiful for the enjoyment of nature's panoramic fall-color shows in Illinois," said Stewart Pequignot, chief of the Division of Forest Resources for the Department of Natural Resources.

Several state parks are noted for their autumn landscapes in Southern Illinois, including Giant City in the Shawnee Hills near Makanda and Carbondale; Ferne Clyffe south of Marion; and Trail of Tears State Forest northwest of Jonesboro.

Pete Skuba, a forester with the department, said people will be able to recognize most trees by their bright colors.

Trees with vivid yellow and orange tints include the sugar maple, hickory, ash, birch, black cheery, cottonwood and sassafras. Trees producing deeper orange-colored leaves, fiery reds and bronzes include the hard maple, red oak, sweet gum, dogwood and persimmon.

Even poison ivy presents beautiful colors: Ivy and the five-leafed Virginia creeper display deep reds and purple in the fall.

Each year special driving trips are scheduled throughout Illinois for motorists and bicyclists to enjoy fall colors.

Included on the recommended list are the Union County Fall Colorfest Oct. 12-13 and the Fall Colorfest Bicycle Tour at Anna Oct. 12-13, both just in time to catch colors at their peaks.

The Southern Most Illinois Tourism Bureau at Ullin will tailor itineraries for fall foliage tours throughout the fall. And driving trips through the Shawnee National Forest and the LaRue-Pine Hills Scenic Drive can provide great views of fall colors.

Guided bus tours will be available throughout Shawnee National Forest during the Union County Fall Colorfest. Also available during the Colorfest will be historic-homes tours, antique and crafts sales, and horse-and-buggy rides. Additional information concerning the Union County event are available by calling (618) 933-6311.

The Fall Colorfest Bicycle Tour at Anna offers one- or two-day riding options, with routes ranging from 10 to 40 miles. Additional information is available by calling (618) 451-8830.

Two toll-free telephone numbers are available to those looking for the best Illinois fall displays: Southern Most Illinois Tourism Council at 1-800-248-4373 and the Illinois Bureau of Tourism at 1-800-226-6632.

For information on Missouri and northern Arkansas fall colors, the toll-free Mark Twain National Forest fall-color hotline is 1-800-898-8895. It is updated throughout the season with information on what trees are reaching color peaks and recommendations for scenic drives, special events and roadside highlights.

The message this week says Missouri's peak color is expected during the first two weeks of October.

One of the favorite local fall-color tours is that starting at the intersection of Highway 61 and Route C north of Fruitland and along Route C through New Wells to Frohna in the east Perry County hill country.

Another fall-color tour is along Highway 72 from Cape Girardeau to Fredericktown, then west to Ironton and Arcadia, south to Piedmont, east on Highway 34 to Marble Hill, and back to Cape Girardeau. The tour includes parts of the Mark Twain National Forest.