Good News for Blue Ridge Mountain Color Hunters

Foliage expert reports favorable conditions for vibrant color in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains

Asheville, NC (September 10, 2008) -- As summer winds down, early climate indicators and mild weather trigger predictions that fall 2008 could produce the most colorful leaf season in years in Western North Carolina.

“The environmental conditions leading into autumn are the best we’ve seen in years here in Western North Carolina, possibly setting the stage for the brightest leaf color show in recent history,” said Dr. Gary Walker, a biology professor at Appalachian State University.

“Comparatively, the high country has had a wet summer and now temperatures are beginning to cool,” said Dr. Walker. “Dry, cool weather from here on out and, ideally, an early frost in September would produce intense, widespread fall color at all elevations.”

With elevations that range from 1,500 feet in the valleys to 6,684 feet at Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, the Asheville area is a fall leaf kaleidoscope from late September through early November as the foliage color beginning at the highest elevations slowly creeps down the mountainsides. Color hunters hoping to find the perfect “peak” time for fall foliage are surprised to learn that Western North Carolina boasts one of the most extended fall foliage seasons in the nation due to varying elevations, microclimates and nearly 100 species of deciduous trees.

To help visitors locate the perfect autumn vista, weekly fall color reports for the mountains of Western North Carolina are posted by the Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau at FallintheMountains.com and a toll-free hotline (800-257-1300). Starting September 22, leaf color reports will direct visitors to the best fall fireworks from week to week, using advice from Blue Ridge Parkway, U.S. Forest Service officials and a cadre of foliage experts throughout the region.

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