NC Fall Foliage Reports and Update 2018
NC fall foliage reports and updates are back again for the North Carolina mountains. Fall is official as of Saturday September 22. The fall foliage season has begun. It’s still warm but the forecast predicts cooler weather this week as cold fronts are bringing those cooler autumn temperatures. By the end of this week nighttime lows will drop into the low 50’s. These cooler temperatures will accelerate the color development.
NC Fall Foliage Reports and Updates
The dogwood trees are already turning red across the state but this is due to the shorter daylight and the normal growth season for the dogwood. There is also some hint of color just starting to appear in the sugar and mountain maples, sourwoods, sassafras, and black birch. Experts are predicting peaks colors in the Boone area between October 12 and October 16, 2018.
The first areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway to see color are in North Carolina. These areas have the highest elevations. Grandfather Mountain is predicted to peak first because of the high elevation of 5946 feet. Mount Mitchell and Craggy Gardens are included in the first to peak locations along the parkway. These highest elevations typically peak the first week of October. Rough Ridge will also be another location to have color by the first of October. Over the next few weeks fall foliage colors will continue to spread and progress along the BRP into the areas of Craggy Gardens (MP 364 on the BRP) , Beech Mountain, Graveyard Fields(MP 418 on the BRP) and Watterock Knob (MP 451 on the BRP).
For the Great Smoky Mountains the start of the fall foliage color changes begin in the highest elevations toward the end of September. There is some hint of color just starting to appear in the mountain ash, beech, and birch trees. Also there is a hint of some red showing in the sugar and mountain maples, sourwoods, sassafras, and black birch.
In the next few days or so the fall foliage colors really begin to show up in the elevations above 5,000 feet in the Smokies. These areas include Clingmans Dome, Mt. LeConte, Cataloochee and along Newfound Gap Road. The 10 day forecast for the GSMNP calls for highs in the 65-75 range and for nighttime lows 46-62 degrees. Toward the end of this week the nighttime temperatures drop significantly which will really accelerate the fall foliage colors. Suggested scenic drives for the coming days and week would include Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Rich Mountain Road, Newfound Gap Road and Clingmans Dome Road (US 441).
Fortunately Hurricane Florence did not make her way as expected into East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. The storm did bring some rain but the wind and amount of rain that was expected did not happen. This was a good thing for the fall foliage season this year. There was some cleanup by park officials but the national park and the Blue Ridge Parkway are open and ready for the leaf peepers this year.
Please visit North Carolina Travel North Carolina Mountains Fall Foliage page for fall foliage reports and updates. Find out when and where to go to see the best fall foliage color.
NC Fall Foliage Reports and Updates
