Fall foliage has potential to be the best in years

Photo by Hugh Morton / Courtesy of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. www.grandfather.com

“Thus far this year, all conditions point to having really good fall foliage.”  Forest ecologist Donald Hagan at Clemson University is holding to this statement as hopes are high and fingers are crossed that this season will be one of the most spectacular—meaning lots of yellow, orange, red, and purple.  Early October should be prime on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Then, throughout October, the color moves its way downward, peaking in the Clemson area and much of the Upstate in late October or early November.  “What really matters now is the weather we get in the next several weeks,” said Hagan. “Violent storms, heavy winds and unseasonable heat or cold all have the potential to adversely affect the foliage.”  Here’s some Hagan advice for leaf lovers:  “Don’t go the day before the arrival of a cold front, go the day after when it’s going to be clear.  The reds and purples will be ablaze and you’ll be able to see for miles.”