What does fall foliage currently look like around NC?

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — It’s October, which is supposed to mean your favorite fall things — including checking out fall foliage!

Here are some views from the mountains, where there’s a little more color right now.

We have a stunning view of colors at the Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway from our friends at the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, as well as around Beech Mountain.

It’s obvious part of the mountains are seeing anywhere from low color to high, even near peak, but that’s only at the highest elevations, according to Explore Fall. Right now we’re not seeing much across central North Carolina other than a little patchy color northwest of the Triangle.

Last year, we saw peak colors in central North Carolina around the first week of November and that looks to be the case again this year if the weather plays along.

We need a lot of sunshine to help make the fall foliage pop, but we also need cool mornings, ideally in the 40s, and pleasant afternoons with highs in the 70s to really make the brightness of the foliage stand out.

You may be seeing what looks like patchy color around your communities and while it could be the leaves starting to change, it could also be minor leaf or foliage stress. If we get too much rain, too little rain or are too cloudy it can sometimes cause the leaves to change color earlier than normal, or even too late.

We hope our weather starts to play along a little better to allow our colors to drop, but our variety of trees here at home should lead to a nice variety of colors when we do reach peak in the next month.