Fall color predictions for Western North Carolina’s leaf season

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

1

Jason Sandford

Press release below. More fall color predictions here.

“Every year is a good year for autumn color, depending on where you are in
Western North Carolina. We finally had a normal rainfall year. As of September
1, the Asheville airport reports only one inch above ‘normal’ precipitation.
With good growth on the trees, we have all the foliage we need for great fall
color. As long as autumn develops normally with cool nights and dry days —
and October is typically one of our driest months — it should be a colorful
season.” — Biltmore Director of Horticulture, Parker Andes

“Drought-stressed trees show more color and turn, more or less,
simultaneously. So, our wetter year could make the colors appear more
gradually. We don’t know what the weather will bring, but fronts that give us
cold nights and bright sunny days will start the process in a couple weeks at
high elevations, which will be vibrant very soon, and continue down to the low
elevations. The later color from oaks and hickories will be nice at the end of
October and early November.” — University of North Carolina Asheville
Associate Professor of Biology, David Clarke

“Compared to when I was growing up, I think it tends to stay warmer and we see
the color later in the season. This was a more typical summer, like the kind I
remember as a kid… cooler and wetter.” –Steve Woody, Friends of Great Smoky
Mountains National Park