Fall foliage increasing in NC mountains, with local peak expected next month

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Fall officially began two weeks ago, and the cooler weather is starting to flow in.

Next up will be the annual fall foliage, which is already popping up in the North Carolina mountains.

Some recent pictures from the Grandfather Mountain area show areas of red, orange and yellow. Those colors should get even better this week with all the sunshine and seasonal temperatures.

Parts of the country are already past peak, along the Rocky Mountains and in extreme northern New England.

But the North Carolina mountains are seeing more reports of partial colors, especially in the highest elevations.

The leaves change each year as the tree’s chlorophyll breaks down, leaving other chemicals that cause the color change. Bright colors are more typical when summer is dry and fall has sunny days and cool nights — just like we’re seeing now.

Unfortunately, working against vibrant colors this season across central North Carolina is the ongoing drought. With severe drought in most spots around the Triangle, the foliage could end up being patchy and less colorful than years past.

Explore Fall predicts our region’s peak to arrive next month, with Raleigh seeing peak between November 11th and 17th. Unfortunately, they also expect our color quality to be poor.

But hopefully some spots get lucky and still get to see some nice colors in the weeks to come.