Fall foliage in Virginia

Virginia’s color moves west to east and from higher elevations downward over nearly three weeks. The highest ridges of the George Washington National Forest and Shenandoah, around Hawksbill and Old Rag, turn in the middle of October; the Shenandoah Valley, Massanutten and the Blue Ridge Parkway follow in the third week; the Piedmont, Northern Virginia and the fall line around Prince William Forest close the season at the start of November, with Tidewater fading in mid-November. Oaks and hickories dominate in bronze and gold, with maple and dogwood for the reds.

Color somewhere in the state: October and November
Trees: oak, hickory, maple and dogwood
Region: Mid-Atlantic

Those are the months when color is present somewhere in Virginia, 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 Virginia 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. Virginia 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 Virginia you would like covered? Write to fallcastapp@gmail.com.