The 2018 Fall Color Map

Every year SmokyMountains.com release an interactive map which shows when you can expect to enjoy the full technicolor experience of America's autumnal foliage. The map uses historical weather records from all 48 continental states to predict the arrival of fall at the county level across the contiguous United States.

The 2018 Fall Foliage Prediction Map has a date control which allows you to view the leaf color you can expect for any date this fall. Move the date back and forth and the map automatically updates to show the predicted fall color in each county. The prediction is based on an analysis of several million data points of historical weather patterns and historical leaf trends.

Wes Melton, co-founder and CTO of SmokyMountains.com, says that,  "historical data drives our model to become more accurate each year. Each year, we use a proprietary algorithm to process millions of data pieces and output accurate predictions for the entire country. Once the data is processed, the map outputs over 50,000 pieces of predictive data and then displays it on an interactive map."

This year the Fall Foliage Prediction Map is accompanied by a chart which shows the average US temperature since 1990. Wes Melton explains that, "The temperature data supplied by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration is one of the most important factors (in predicting fall foliage colors) and now leaf map users can easily visualize the impact of regional precipitation on peak fall dates."