Summer is coming to a close and a chill in the air has started creeping in. So, we’re sure many of you are now getting ready for fall photography. Since you’re already making plans, choosing gear and plotting locations, best complete your preparations with this year’s Fall Foliage Prediction Map!
This valuable resource forecasts the progression of the fall season throughout the US, and the changing of foliage along with it. Thus, it helps you plan your trips ahead so you can be at the right place at the right time for stunning fall photography.
The annual Fall Foliage Prediction Map is an initiative of SmokyMountains.com, a travel brand that promotes the Smoky Mountain region. It all began in 2013, when potential visitors to the region would ask them when the fall foliage would be most brilliant. What started out as a side project for statistical expert, airline transport pilot and SmokyMountains.com founder David Angiotti and his team eventually became one of the best fall resources and prominent fall leaf maps in the US.
So, how does this fall leaf map work, you ask? On the Fall Foliage Prediction Map page, simply move the slider to the right to view the forecasted progression of the season. Green indicates the part of the country with unchanged foliage colors. Brown means the leaves are past their peak colors. The rest of the colors represent the vibrant changing of the leaves throughout the season.
What makes this interactive map such an accurate resource for fall foliage tracking? According to its creators, while not 100% accurate, the map utilizes a refined data model that relies on a combination of factors so it can be as precise as possible. These include historical temperature and precipitation, forecast temperature and precipitation, the type of tree known to be prominent in that geographic region, the historical trends in that area, and user data. This year, end-users are also encouraged to provide real-time leaf reports to help with updates and future versions.
“Similar to a weekend weather forecast, the timing of our map update is important. The backbone of the map is meteorology — temperature, moisture, sunlight and precipitation. While meteorology is most accurate immediately before an event, a forecast is more useful to travelers and end users when made in advance. With our unique blend of historical and forecast data, we are able to make a highly accurate prediction by the end of August. The drastic year-to-year changes dictate that we create a new map from scratch with new data each year. Our end goal is to produce a map that’s useful and fun,” the creators added.
Head to the SmokyMountains.com Fall Foliage Prediction Map to learn more.
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