Fall Foliage Reports And Updates 2018
Fall foliage reports and updates are underway. Fall has finally arrived and the fall foliage season is just getting started. The first official day of autumn was Saturday September 22. Although the weather is still warm there is some fall foliage color changes already taking place in the Great Smoky Mountains. The dogwood trees have some color changes visible but it is due to the shorter daylight and the normal growth season for the dogwood. The start of the fall foliage color changes begin in the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains toward the end of September. There is some hint of color just starting to appear in the mountain ash, beech, and birch trees. Also there is a hint of some red showing in the sugar and mountain maples, sourwoods, sassafras, and black birch. Tulip poplar trees are also turning yellow now.
Great Smoky Mountains Fall Foliage 2018
In the next week or so the highest elevations above 5,500 feet will really start to show there fall colors of red, gold and orange. These areas include Clingmans Dome, Mt. LeConte, Cataloochee and along Newfound Gap Road. The 10 day forecast for the GSMNP calls for highs in the 65-75 range and for nighttime lows 46-62 degrees. Toward the end of this week the nighttime temperatures drop significantly which will really accelerate the show of color in the leaves.
Cooler temperatures, sunny days, and clear blue skies provide the perfect conditions for the development of the fall foliage show. The highest elevations in the park, around 6,000 ft. will be the first areas to show the most color. Suggested scenic drives for the coming days and week would include Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Rich Mountain Road, Newfound Gap Road and Clingmans Dome Road in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Fortunately Hurricane Florence did not make her way to East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. The storm did bring some rain but the wind and deluge of rain that was expected did not happen. This was a good thing for the fall foliage season this year. There was some cleanup by park officials but the national park is open and ready for the leaf peepers this year.
Please visit Great Smoky Mountains Guide Fall Foliage page to find out when and where to go to see the best colors this fall foliage season the Great Smoky Mountains. Here you will find regular updates on the progression of color as the fall foliage changes the landscape into vibrant red, yellow, golds and oranges!
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
