Fall Color Rapidly Expanding at 4,000 Feet

While more prevalent at elevations higher than 5,000 feet, fall color is rapidly spreading through the 4,000-foot range, as this scene near the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linn Cove Viaduct demonstrates. As autumn continues its march, higher elevations, like those on the parkway and Grandfather Mountain, will afford leaf-lookers an opportunity to also see the foliage changing in the valleys below. For more fall color photos, visit https://goo.gl/YTWIjJ. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
While more prevalent at elevations higher than 5,000 feet, fall color is rapidly spreading through the 4,000-foot range, as this scene near the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linn Cove Viaduct demonstrates. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Compiled by Jesse Wood

Fall color is “rapidly spreading through the 4,000-foot elevation range,” according to yesterday’s color report from Grandfather Mountain. “ASU Fall Color Guy,” Howard Neufeld, a professor of Biology at App State,” posted his latest report last Sunday, prior to the rainfall we received this week.

Here’s some of what Neufeld wrote in his last update:

“Because of the drought, the tulip poplars, birches, and cherries are losing their leaves prematurely. In addition, I’ve seen some sugar maples with brown leaves at the tips of their branches, which suggests drought stress to me. It is supposed to rain on Mon and Tue of this coming week, and that will supply the trees with some water before they get any more stressed out, and it will bring down the temperatures to normal for this time of the year, and that should jump start color development in the woods. However, the predicted rainfall amounts are low to moderate, so this will not get us out our current drought situation.”

See Neufeld’s entire post here and be sure to follow the ASU Fall Color Guy on Facebook to follow more of the fun.

Also, Neufeld was a guest on the “What’s Up Boone” podcast, hosted by Boone Chamber President David Jackson and sponsored by the Town of Boone’s Cultural Resources Department. Check it out here.

See this week’s of updates from Grandfather Mountain below.

Grandfather Mountain Color Updates With Photo: 

Thursday, Sept. 29

While more prevalent at elevations higher than 5,000 feet, fall color is rapidly spreading through the 4,000-foot range, as this scene near the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linn Cove Viaduct demonstrates. As autumn continues its march, higher elevations, like those on the parkway and Grandfather Mountain, will afford leaf-lookers an opportunity to also see the foliage changing in the valleys below. For more fall color photos, visit https://goo.gl/YTWIjJ. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation
While more prevalent at elevations higher than 5,000 feet, fall color is rapidly spreading through the 4,000-foot range, as this scene near the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linn Cove Viaduct demonstrates. As autumn continues its march, higher elevations, like those on the parkway and Grandfather Mountain, will afford leaf-lookers an opportunity to also see the foliage changing in the valleys below. For more fall color photos, visit https://goo.gl/YTWIjJ. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Wednesday, Sept. 28

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Fall color is on exhibit, as this view from Grandfather Mountain’s Nature Museum illustrates. With temperatures continuing to drop at night, the change in color is on the rise. In fact, experts are predicting peak color this very weekend at elevations between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. Leaf-lookers are invited to see for themselves, as Grandfather Mountain kicks off its ‘Colors of Grandfather’ guided walks this weekend, Oct. 1 and 2. For more information, or to plan a trip, visit www.grandfather.com. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Tuesday, Sept. 27

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A Blue Ridge dawn offers a striking backdrop, as mountain ash bursts into color atop Grandfather Mountain’s Linville Peak. From Linville Peak, spectators can see color forming around the Seven Devils area along the south-facing ridge tops. Early last week, a faint change in color could be seen, but by Saturday, Sept. 24, the dry, rocky ridges on the south slope were predominately red and orange. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Monday, Sept. 26

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Fall color shines near Stack Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 304.8). According to experts, the area has seen very minimal increases in color throughout the last week, due to higher than average temperatures and dry conditions. But the road to Grandfather Mountain’s Mile High Swinging Bridge is growing ever more colorful, thanks to the yellow birch, fire cherry, American ash, yellow buckeye, red maple and hobblebush that are painting the landscape with vibrant autumn hues. Photo by Skip Sickler | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation