Fall foliage in Tennessee

Tennessee’s color starts on the crest of the Smokies and descends over about three weeks. Clingmans Dome, Mount Guyot and Newfound Gap turn in the middle of October; the mid-elevation trails and Cades Cove follow in the third week; the foothills around Pigeon Forge and the Foothills Parkway peak at the turn of the month. The Cumberland Plateau colors at about the same time as the foothills, and Middle and West Tennessee finish in the first half of November. Maple, birch and cherry make up the high country; oaks, hickories and sweetgum carry the lowlands.

Color somewhere in the state: October and November
Trees: maple, birch, cherry, oak, hickory and sweetgum
Region: Appalachians & Southeast

Those are the months when color is present somewhere in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee 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. Tennessee borders:

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 Tennessee you would like covered? Write to fallcastapp@gmail.com.