Use the Fall Foliage Forecast Map to Plan Your Fall Trips Now
Technically, we may still have a month before summer, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start planning our favorite fall activities right now.
If you want to capture the full seasonal shift – and outside of the Starbucks stores that introduced pumpkin spice on Tuesday – take a look at the 2019 Fall Foliage Prediction Map , which also launched this week. Using historical data and projections , the map can help you plan trips around the changing colors of the leaves.
The Smoky Mountains website contains a map of the continental United States; if you scroll through the dates, the map will suddenly change color depending on the color of the leaves you can expect to find in the area. A green or light yellow color in an area could mean that you are jumping from the gun when you fall. Meanwhile, the dark red means you can expect to see a drop at its peak.
For example, in New York, autumn leaves peak between October 5-12. In Michigan, it’s after October 12th. Of course, the map is a generalization and gives the best guess; the exact ” brightness ” of red leaves may depend on the type of tree or its environment.
“Nothing is 100 percent accurate,” David Angotti, co-founder of the map, told Patch . “… We can have a brilliant fall and Mother Nature can come with a hurricane and pluck these leaves in minutes.” In other words, don’t take the card at face value and remember to check the weather conditions before you travel. As you can see on the map (grim), rising global temperatures also affect both the “brightness” and the length of the fall flowers, so this map might look completely different in a couple of years.
Otherwise, use it to guide your future plans. You can even save some money on your travels by planning your trip in the fall, winter, or spring.