Fall foliage in Georgia

Georgia’s color begins on its highest ground and moves south over about three weeks. Brasstown Bald, Blood Mountain and the ridges of the Chattahoochee National Forest turn in the third week of October; the valleys around Blue Ridge, Vogel and Tallulah Gorge follow at the turn of the month; the Piedmont and the state parks north of Atlanta reach peak in the second week of November, with the coastal plain later and less pronounced. Oaks and hickories dominate, with sourwood, black gum and maple providing the red.

Those are the months when color is present somewhere in Georgia, from its highest ground to its lowest. Any one location changes over a much shorter period than that.

Why the timing shifts from year to year

Shortening days start the process, so most places in Georgia change at close to their usual time each year. Within the state, elevation and latitude account for most of the difference: higher and more northern ground generally changes first, and lower, sheltered ground last. Weather has more effect on how strong the color is than on when it appears. Cool nights and sunny days favor the reds, a dry summer mutes them, and a hard freeze or a windstorm can strip a slope in a day. What determines the timing goes through this in detail.

Nearby states

Fall color does not follow state lines. Georgia borders:

• Alabama fall foliage
• Florida fall foliage
• North Carolina fall foliage
• South Carolina fall foliage
• Tennessee fall foliage

Timing for a specific place

This page describes a whole state, which is about as precise as a season can be described in words. Conditions at one overlook on one weekend are a narrower question, and that is the one Fallcast answers: an expected period of color for a specific location, with a confidence attached, updated through the season as the trees change. It is coming to iPhone this fall.

Questions, or somewhere in Georgia you would like covered? Write to fallcastapp@gmail.com.