RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Fall is still weeks away, but are you already planning your trip to your favorite foliage spot?
Since it’s still August, we’re are not tracking any leaves changing color here locally just yet, but according to Explore Fall, Alaska is already starting to see fall colors! It’s patchy and mainly in the higher elevations, but there are some of us in the U.S. that are already starting to see the leaves change.
The leaves will change color no matter what, that’s just what happens when our days get shorter, but there are some factors that could impact the vibrancy of fall foliage once we get into September and October.
Sunshine is a big one. If we get more sunshine, the colors are more likely to be bright and bold, but going along with those sunny days, afternoons need to be warm, ideally in the 70s. But the mornings need to be cool as well, ideally in the 40s.
Rain can also have an impact. Areas that were in a drought or had too much rain could have a slight delay in color, but some people say it may not have as much of an impact on the brightness of fall foliage as the sunshine and temperatures.
So when will our colors peak in central North Carolina? According to Explore Fall, it’ll be early November.
On average, we normally see our peak color at the end of October and into November, so this isn’t that much of a change for what we’d normally experience.
But North Carolina has more than 18 million acres of forest—most of that hardwood—so it really doesn’t matter where you go, because the fall foliage is sure to give you a show!
