2024 Fall Season Overview (free)
The fall season was one we will never forget. Helene arrived on September 27th as a generational event, forever altering our lives and the landscape.
The recovery will take years and for some it may never come as businesses shutter and families relocate. The determination within our communities to rebuild is inspiring and we use these small silver linings to persist.
Parkway Status
The Parkway closes at times for wintry weather (snow/ice, high winds, and deep cold) and remains this way through the end of February.
Nov 22nd at Soco Gap (4")
The Park Service confirmed there is no winter recreation (walk, bike, etc.) allowed this season due to Helene. Likely to be reinstated by next winter.
2024 Fall Season
Although Helene cannot be ignored, we did manage to salvage a fall color season. Coverage began September 11th, lasting 59 days, ending November 9th. After Helene we shifted gears to cover non Parkway areas like the Southern Highlands Plateau, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and local town parks and backroads.
Late August
Late summer stress brought on some early season color. Mostly caused by a severe summer drought which continued throughout the month of September, ending after Helene dropped 18 - 33" of rain across WNC.
Early September
Color change was spotty and isolated, with ridgelines and outcrops turning before hillsides and coves; likely due to additional stress from little access to water.
September 18th
Color change skyrocketed in areas that normally turn ahead of the region, such as Graveyard Fields which was at peak color by the 18th, turning past peak by September 24th. These early turnover spots included Little Sam Knob, Ivestor Ridge, and Graveyard Fields, while mid - high color unfolded across the rest of region.
September 24th
We were filming a timelapse above Graveyard Fields just as the Predecessor Rain Event began to unfold. Little did we know this was going to be our last color chase along the Parkway for the fall season.
September 27th
The Parkway shut down due to Helene and would remain closed for 32 days, opening back up October 31st in a few sections. We would go offline for nearly two weeks as we helped neighbors and assisted local NGOs. Numerous landslides remain, likely taking years to repair.
Early October
For roughly two weeks we did not know the extent of Helene's damage, with cell signal and power out across the region. We would later learn color change continued its fast pace above 4500', while the valleys hit the pause button.
Mid October
As we explored more of the region, color was looking lackluster with Helene damage evident across most of the area. After Helene we entered a second dry spell, which could have been the cause of the muted colors.
Interesting Climate Fact
Since records began at the Asheville Airport in 1946 there have been a handful of years when we had little to no rain, a deluge or record event, then back to a second dry spell with little to no rain. Data from Jared Rennie.
Years:
- Sep/Oct 1964
- Aug 1967
- Jun/Jul 2013
- Aug 2021
- Sep/Oct 2024
The largest extreme was Helene at the Asheville Airport:
3" --> 14" --> 0.02"
Late October
As color change descended into the mid elevations (3000 - 4500') the season looked like it could be saved. That or I was simply excited to have a distraction from Helene; it's amazing what a walk in Pinnacle Park will do.
October 30th
The Parkway reopened after 32 days. Although color had moved to past peak regionwide, in many spots Second Peak was underway as hardwoods turned.
For many, the Second Peak phase is their favorite due to fall-like weather, leaves on the ground and the holiday season fast approaching.
November 9th
Our last day of the fall color season. Stick season was well underway and perhaps we could have chosen an earlier date, but Second Peak lingered to keep the season going a bit longer than normal.
Season Report Card
Entering opinion territory here. This season was not great for many reasons and if you can put Helene aside, I think you'll agree we did not have much going for us this year. The late summer drought that extended into late September likely had a lot to do with the dull colors and delayed pace after Helene.
I will admit it was nice to visit other areas to capture fall colors, driving over 1,300 miles this season. I may add in a non-Parkway visit into next year's coverage to highlight areas nearby.
How we rank each season:
- color coverage (isolated or widespread)
- color timing (transition from high to low elevations and 1st to 2nd peak phases)
- weather (rainy, multiple cold fronts, snow)
- color itself (vibrant, rich, dull, faded, long lasting/short lived)
My favorite moment was driving Forest Service roads that opened up after Helene, providing seclusion and a simple disconnect.
My favorite area this past season was Panthertown Valley because the Plateau is an amazing area to visit and the valley is well maintained by Friends of Panthertown, allowing you to access miles and miles of trails and camping sites.
One last update from the fall color season before we depart. I brought back 360 video to allow folks to ride along and interact with the view! Be sure to check out this exciting feature in our Video page.
It has been a pleasure and privilege to provide ground truth foliage coverage for you all this fall season. Thank you to everyone who has become a subscriber, allowing me to expand this service and cover the Parkway with detail and timeliness.
If you wish to gift this coverage to someone this holiday season, email me at info@parkwaycolors.com and we can set up their account in no time.
We'll go into hibernation mode, but spring back to life in March as we cover the greening up of the mountains. The valleys will blossom first and then all sorts of color will climb the mountainsides, lasting some years into late May. Thank you again for following along, it means the world to me that these updates help you plan a better fall experience. Until next time!