With the days getting shorter and crisp temperatures greeting morning commuters, one thing is certain: fall is on the way.  

A punishingly hot and dry summer didn’t do any favors for those who enjoy the beauty of fall foliage. Yet much of the Southern Appalachian Mountains should still offer stunning hues in the weeks ahead, a relief for anyone hoping for a journey into the higher elevations to see the explosion of red, yellow and orange.  

That’s according to officials at East Tennessee State University who offer a weekly fall color report. 

“Our region experienced a fairly typical spring followed by a very dry start of summer,” said Travis Watson, the university’s campus arborist. “All of this has made for very stressful conditions for our local trees and has resulted in early leaf drop in many species.” 

What will help: the vast botanical diversity of the Southern Appalachian forests – consisting of over 100 species of deciduous hardwoods. That variety offers a broad color palette that usually lasts longer than the mountainous areas in the northeastern portion of the United States. 

Remnants of Francine brought a bit of rainfall to portions of Southern Appalachia, a reality that could help in areas where leaves are dropping prematurely because of dry conditions, according to Dr. Andrew Joyner, Tennessee’s official climatologist and an associate professor in the Department of Geosciences.       


“For our region, I expect that the majority of the mountains and higher elevations will have a fairly normal fall display,” Watson added.   

Starting this week, ETSU will offer a weekly fall color prediction every Thursday until the season ends. Find it on ETSU’s social media channels, as well as ETSU News.   

“As long as we continue to see cool nights and sunny days as we move into fall, we should still see a decent color display,” Watson said. “Some areas heavily impacted by the drought and extreme temperatures might have less canopy density and therefore a diminished display.” 

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

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