This Map Predicts Peak Leaf Fall in the US
Labor Day has come and gone, which means it’s time to dive into autumn—including cool weather and changing foliage—and enjoy it while it lasts. To that end, SmokyMountains.com publishes a Fall Foliage Map each year , which indicates when fall colors are likely to be at their brightest nationwide, broken down by county level and by week. Predictions begin on September 4th and end shortly before Thanksgiving on November 20th.
Obviously, no forecast is 100% accurate. But if you’re planning on peeping the leaves – whether it’s in another state or just in your backyard – you can use this card to maximize your chances of enjoying the autumn foliage peak.
How to Use the 2023 Fall Foliage Map
The foliage map is color-coded by peak level: no change, minimal, patchy, partial, near-peak, peak, and past-peak. To view forecasts over time, simply move the slider from left to right.
Fall foliage is expected to partially or nearly peak in the northern US (including New England) and down to the mountain west sometime in the third or fourth week of September, with a peak forecast for the first week of October (at which point partial peaks should come to areas Mid-Atlantic and Pacific coasts). The southeast is the last place of the peak in mid-November.
According to the authors of the foliage map , a number of data points are used to predict peaks:
- NOAA Historical Temperatures
- NOAA historical rainfall
- NOAA temperature forecast
- NOAA Predicts Rainfall
- Historical leaf peak trends
- Trends in Peak Observations
The map also takes into account user reports – if you so desire, you can add data by filling out a three-question form, including your state, zip code and foliage level, from “yeah, no color yet” to “past”. peak.”