FALL FOLIAGE FORECAST: NC mountains could boast vibrant yellows, oranges

GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, N.C. — North Carolina is likely to see more vibrant fall foliage this year compared to 2020, according to AccuWeather.

The AccuWeather 2021 fall foliage forecast projects the Tar Heel state will see brighter leaves on trees this year, with especially striking yellows and oranges in the mountains.

Wet weather could have a bigger influence on the colors that appear on the trees in the central and southern Appalachians. Wet weather influences how much red shows up in the leaves, but even without the red leaves, there should be beautiful displays in some of the more popular mountain destinations, AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said.

“Taking a trip over the Blue Ridge ... the fall scenery should still be quite nice this fall,” he said.

The same goes for visitors traveling to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and other outdoor destinations across Appalachia.

One thing to watch, however, is tropical weather. If a windy tropical system moves through the area around peak leaf season, it would blow the leaves off branches before they reach their most beautiful.

Some of the most popular places to enjoy fall foliage in the eastern U.S. are expected to feature vibrant displays this autumn.

“Last year, trees became stressed later in the summer in parts of the Northeast due to a couple of extended periods of dryness,” Pastelok said. “As a result, there were early leaf droppings, and the brightness was OK, but not great.”

A much different story is expected to unfold this year across much of the Northeast with many areas seeing more impressive colors.

The exact timing of when leaves change colors depends on the weather leading up to fall.

Pastelok expects the mostly mild summer to delay the peak of fall colors about a week or two, perhaps pushing the peak in North Carolina into November.

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