Fall Is In The Air And On The Trees In The Smokies

I am thrilled to have somewhat of a Smoky Mountain expert giving us a fall color report from the NC side of the Smoky Mountains this week. Bob and Tonya Williams live in this beautiful area and have cabin rentals and the yummy Dillsboro Chocolate Factory !

Fall is in the Air and on the Trees in the Great Smoky Mountains

By Bob Williams

Fall color is really starting to abound in the Smokies the final week of October. Predicting fall color is somewhat a science and somewhat an art.

Leaf color change is influenced by shortened days as the calendar turns to September and October, temperature of the season, moisture over the growing season. All these play a role in the timing and intensity of the fall colors on hardwood trees. We have had a warm fall until this week with temperatures plunging into the 20s and in the higher elevations and some valleys received nearly 3 inches of snow on Tuesday morning!

Historically fall colors peak in the Smokies around the 2nd or 3rd week. However, the ongoing drought in the Southern Appalachians could be having a positive side effect with prolonged fall color seasons.

Last year here in the Dillsboro/Sylva/Bryson City area we had fall colors on the oaks well past Thanksgiving with intense reds. Perhaps this year we will see the same. Fall foliage will likely be at peak come this week and into next week based observations from my driving around the area.

Up on the Blue Ridge Parkway above 5,000 feet fall is almost finished, but below 5,000 feet and into the valleys fall is going strong. So, if the predictions made in magazine articles and other places got you thinking about fall colors being past their peak? Think again and perhaps take a drive to the Smokies over the next few weeks and experience a cool crisp Smoky Mountain Fall.

Bob & Tonya Williams
Welcome to Smoky Mountain Time!
Luxury Vacation Homes in the Smoky Mountains
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http://www.dillsborochocolate.com/

Smoky Mountain Photos by Bob Williams