Peak color for leaves in NC mountains could be slightly delayed this fall

The North Carolina mountains are a popular vacation destination anytime of the year, but the excitement of mountain vacations often peaks with peak color in the fall.

The red, orange, and yellow colors and near-silence of the mountains draws in many for a nice fall retreat from the busy back-to-school days and bustling work schedules. If you’re dreaming of a pumpkin spice coffee and sweaters on a cabin porch, here’s what you need to know about planning your trip.

Overall, this year’s season is shaping up to be a pretty good one. It’s been a wet end of summer in the mountains as tropical remnants passed through. It’s unlikely the rain will have a big impact on the leaves.

The Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains have one of the longest autumn color seasons in the United States thanks to tall peaks and deep valleys.

Temperatures tend to have larger impacts on the fall leaf season. Late September through October has the ideal weather for vibrant leaves with lots of sunny and mild afternoons with cool nights.

The monthly outlook from the Climate Prediction Center continues to indicate a better chance of above normal temperatures through the end of this month which could lead to a slight delay in color and a longer spread between different trees reaching their peak colors. We will continue to monitor the mountain temperatures with updated leaf forecasts on WRAL News in the coming weeks.