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Fall Color Update: ‘Best Show Nature Ever Devised,’ Fall Colors To Peak Through Weekend

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View of fall colors along the Blue Ridge Parkway on Tuesday. Photos by Ken Ketchie

By Mark S. Kenna 

Oct. 16, 2013. This week and weekend will be the best for fall colors, Howard Neufeld, professor in the biology department at ASU, wrote on his “Fall Color Report,” on the ASU Biology website Tuesday.

Neufeld cited seeing “yellow-orange” brilliance from sugar maples along King Street in downtown Boone.

Fall colors are also looking good from red maples, birches, beeches, tulip poplars and hickories; magnolias are creaking a lot of yellow color; and the scarlet and black oaks should be popping with red color creating the last bursts to the landscape, Neufeld added

Boone is a little late this year with fall colors, compared to other years.

“We’ve had very moderate temperatures these last few weeks, even excessively warm the prior week,” Neufeld said.  “I think that delayed the progression of color development by several days as the peak is yet to appear here in the Boone area, and the average date of appearance is between the 10 and 14 of Oct.” 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park was not able to be reached due to the federal government shutdown, but considering its higher elevation it is probably experiencing peek colors, Neufeld said.

Kathy Mathews, a professor in the biology department at Western Carolina University is shocked that there has not been a frost, but recommends that people come up this weekend to experience the best of High Country fall colors.

“We haven’t had a frost yet to bring on a real peak of simultaneous color,” Mathews said. “A frost may not happen until the end of the month, but many trees will be finished by then.”

If your plans take you to Grandfather Mountain, click here for tips about visiting.

Also Check Out Past Stories on the fall colors:

https://www.hcpress.com/news/asu-fall-color-guy-leaf-update.html

https://www.hcpress.com/news/fall-color-guy-neufeld-begins-to-watch-the-weather-and-make-predictions.html

https://www.hcpress.com/news/if-wet-weather-trend-continues-optimal-leaf-color-for-high-country-autumn-may-suffer.html