According to Howard S. Neufeld, biology professor at Appalachian State University, this fall the colors should be brilliant if current weather conditions continue. Neufeld is the official “Fall Color Guy” of the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.
The Division's Web site, www.visitnc.com/fallcolor, will reveal Dr. Neufeld's weekly fall leaf predictions along with scientific explanations and facts each Wednesday afternoon.
“The weather is cooperating. Enough rain, bright sunny days with cooler temperatures and clear, cool nights without freezing temperatures create the combination needed to produce great fall colors,” Neufeld reports.
“If this pattern persists over the next two weeks, we should be in good shape for color appearing in early October, and peaking around the second or third week of October at elevations of about 3,000 to 4,000 feet, and later at lower elevations.”
The professor will observe the leaf color throughout the Boone area each week for his reports. Already, Neufeld has found some sugar maples on the Appalachian campus which are turning red. While most trees in the region are still green, leaf-lookers have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, Neufeld says. This week, he also reports what wildflower enthusiasts have noticed: the lower-growing shrubs, vines and herbacious plants are revealing golden, red, purple leaf colors, along with fall flowers and berries of all sorts.
Mast General Store's web site posts updates about the fall color on their Fall Foliage Primer at www.mastgeneralstore.com/fall_foliage.cfm.
Leaf lookers will also enjoy scenic byway maps and CD narratives available for download at www.highcountrybackroads.com.
For more information on fall in the High Country, call the Boone Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-852-9506.
North Carolina is considered the South’s premier fall travel destination. For general travel information, call 1-800-VISIT NC (800-847-4862).
