Acadia National Park, Maine. Photo: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
It's not officially autumn, but PSLs have already arrived, and peak fall foliage will be here before you know it.
Why it matters: Your window to view the bright hues might be trickier to predict, as climate change impacts when leaves change — and how colorful they get.
Driving the news: Using historical weather reports, tree species info and user data, travel brand SmokyMountains.com put together 2023 foliage prediction maps of the U.S.
- In some regions, leaves start to change colors in mid-September.
- Many regions are projected to be past their peak fall colors by the end of October.
Best parks to view fall foliage include:
- Acadia National Park in Maine.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.
- Ozark National Forest in Arkansas.
- Letchworth State Park in New York.
- Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
- Mount Rainier National Park in Washington.
Between the lines: The green color in leaves comes from chlorophyll, the pigment that helps plants turn sunlight into energy via photosynthesis.
- As nights get longer and there's less sunlight in the fall, leaves stop making chlorophyll.
- The green color fades and the yellows, oranges, reds or purples become visible.
Go deeper: Top fall foliage destinations by SmokyMountains.com