Fall Foliage Map and Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast | Hacker News Reader

Fall Foliage Map and Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast

smokymountains.com

120 pointsAmorymeltzer38 comments

I love the weather and constant sunshine in the Bay Area, but every year for a few weeks I really miss the fall foliage in the South near Asheville and the Smoky Mountains. There are some areas within a few hours drive of the Bay Area that have foliage, but there’s nothing like seeing an entire mountain range quilted in colorful leaves.

(See for instance the Tennessee River Gorge: http://d3e1m60ptf1oym.cloudfront.net/8ba1595e-fe54-11df-af79...)

What's the best spot around SF to view foliage? Tahoe?

Mono Lake area better and lot emptier IMO

Mono lake? It’s pretty arid there. I imagine lower elevations which get cold would provide better foliage, maybe grass valley area?

The June Lake loop has spectacular aspens.

Yes that’s true. It’s got some quaint places too.

In addition to the mentioned June Lake loop, basically all of the valleys west of highway 395 in Mono County have many kinds of foliage, including Lee Vining Creek (the deep valley east of Tioga pass), Mammoth Lakes, Hilton Creek, and many others.

It's not so much Mono lake per se, but the eastern Sierras in general. Aspens grow on the leeward side.

https://www.californiafallcolor.com/

I hope to get back to Sevierville within the next few weeks. Glad to see it represented on HN (in the main article.) As Kid Rock says, there ain't nothing like a Tennessee mountaintop.

https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/

This is the definitive fall foliage map for New York.

As a kid growing up, I lived in a very wooded area with a varied mix of trees. The Red Oaks were probably the most color changing out of the mix. Most of those years were considered drought years, and the fall was meh at best. The autumn of the first year with significant rain fall after all of those years was simply stunning.

I've always wanted to go up to New England on a leaf peeping trip. Saying peeping makes it sound kind of taboo. However, I never plan it right as New England has Fall while those of us in the south are still considering it summer.

I grew up in Massachusetts and we had a gigantic maple tree in our front lawn, along with abundant other oaks, birches, apples, redwoods, and other trees. When I was a kid I'd go out in the fall and bury myself under the leaves that covered the lawn.

I've lived in the Bay Area for a decade and generally think our weather is much better than New England's, but I do miss the seasons. October is spectacular in New England.

It's 96 degrees in Atlanta right now. We're still considering it summer because we can tell that when we go outside.

(But since it hasn't been raining, the leaves are starting to fall. No way I'm raking in this heat.)

The oaks I’m familiar with have green leaves which kinda turn brown. I’ll have too look up red oaks...

Maybe a Live Oak? Although, it takes forever for a Live Oak's leaf to turn brown even after falling to the ground (usually around late Jan/early Feb in my area). They are evergreen, so they never do a color change during the fall. Red Oak's leaves turn a brilliant shade of red (unless in a drought). I actually grew up in a town named after the red oak, so they were quite abundant. Not far from a town named after all of the cedars growing on the hills.

I am in MA and its Oct 4th. It doesn't feel like by tomorrow it's going to be peak foliage. As per the chart legend I'd say at most it's patchy out there at the moment.

It's still very green out on Cape Cod, but I feel that could change at any moment.

Looking out my window in Sandwich I'm starting to see a bit of red. Not much.

I used to have a view of Central Park, and was amazed how it could literally change almost overnight as if someone exploded a can of paint over the Park.

And it was all the trees, not just some.

It seems like it took one night of good cold to bring it on, but I'm sure that's anecdotal at best.

I'm not sure if this map is updated during the season or if they just make one prediciton in early September.

Can't disagree with your observations, except the map predicts MA will be near-peak on the 5th, hitting peak the week after and falling post-peak the week after that.

Booked a trip to the smokeys for the weekend of Oct 18. Was just checking this website the day before and per this, the peak foliage would be Nov 2 (I doubt even then it would peak). All due to unexpected warm weather. I wonder if this is the start of a trend or if this an anomaly.

In Atlanta we’ve had record highs each day in October. Yesterday it was 97. Tomorrow the high is 79 and next week 72. You still have a chance.

This is really great, although the colors for Peak and Past Peak are remarkably bad for my color blindness. I can't tell whether my area is going to be Peak or Past Peak and there is no mouse over to help me.

Would something like this help?

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/color-enhancer/ipk...

I’m in Princeton NJ this instant and we are at least 6 days, and maybe more, behind this map. Beautiful concept though.

Does anyone know of a similar resource for Europe? Even better, Austria?

It's pretty beautiful in Brattleboro, Vermont today.

Still a lot of green a few miles south here in Shelburne Falls, MA.

Splitting the difference (right near the VT/MA border in Readsboro) I'd say we are pretty close to peak at 2000 ft. Or if this isn't peak, it's going to be a spectacular display this year! First frost tonight too.

I live in Arkansas. It's been hot and dry in the south this year. The leaves around central AR are already falling.

Northern Virginia. A few yellow leaves peaking out but not much.

So what do the colors on the map mean? Which color is best?

"Peak" is best.

For instance, my GF and I are headed up to Petoskey, MI next weekend, precisely as it hits peak color. We've been wanting to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes for a while, and what better time than fall colors?

So on this map, peak is brown?

Deep red. There's a legend in the bottom right of the map, but on my laptop it partially cutoff.

Where is Alaska?

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