Labor Day is past and pumpkin spice is back, but it won’t truly feel like fall until one thing makes its appearance: the fall foliage. Thanks to the 2024 Fall Foliage Map, we have an idea of when to expect the arrival of those vibrant reds and oranges.
In the Northern Virginia area, fall foliage is expected to reach its peak around October 21, according to SmokyMountains.com. The leaves will begin to change in the region around October 7 with partial change, hit the “near-peak” stage by October 14, and will be past their prime by October 28.
For a full visual of how the fall leaves will progress throughout the season, move the slider at the bottom of the interactive map below.
Interactive map courtesy SmokyMountains.com
This prediction is based upon factors like historical temperatures and precipitation, forecast temperature and precipitation, historic trends, the type of trees in the region, and user-submitted data.
The annual prediction began in 2013 to give users an idea of when to plan for fall activities. In NoVA, it’s useful for planning outings like driving Skyline Drive in Shenandoah or visiting one of NoVA’s serene lakes.
“Similar to a weekend weather forecast, the timing of our map update is important. The backbone of the map is meteorology — temperature, moisture, sunlight, and precipitation. While meteorology is most accurate immediately before an event, a forecast is more useful to travelers and end users when made in advance,” SmokyMountains.com said in a news release. The early September prediction enables travelers to make plans in advance and catch the best fall foliage before it’s too late.
Feature image of Shenandoah National Park by Nick Palastro
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