North Carolina reaches peak season for fall foliage transformation

North Carolina State University's Dr. Robert Bardon joined WRAL News at Noon to discuss the best time and locations to take in the beautiful fall colors in North Carolina.
Posted 10/11/2022, 5:23:58 PM Updated 10/11/2022, 5:58:33 PM

EXTINGUISHER, EVEN SAND, RIGHT?

CLOSE IN CASE THOSE FLAMES GET

OUT OF HAND.

>> IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR WHERE

WE NEED AN EXPERT TO TELL US

WHEN THE LEAVES WILL CHANGE.

SO WE CAN BOOK, THOUGH, IS

PRETTY FALL. FAMILY PORTRAITS

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE

BEST TIME AND LOCATIONS TO TAKE

IN THOSE BEAUTIFUL COLORS.

NC STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERT

DOCTOR ROBERT BARD AND DOCTOR

BARTON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR

JOINING US. THIS IS JUST SO

I MEAN, IT'S WHAT FALL IS ALL

ABOUT, RIGHT? THE PRETTY

COLORS. TALK TO US ABOUT THE

OPTIMAL CONDITIONS FOR THIS

TRANSFORMATION.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING

ME. SO THE OPTUM LEE. YOU KNOW,

IT STAYS WARM, SUNNY DAYS THAT

WE'RE HAVING IN THE COOL NIGHTS

ARE REALLY THE OPTIMAL

CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE THE FALL

FOLIAGE, COLORS THAT ARE

VIBRANT, THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE

THIS TIME OF YEAR.

>> SO WE ARE SEEING SOME PRETTY

COLORS BEHIND ME. AND SPARK

A SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT THIS IS

AVERAGE FOR NOW OR SHOULD WE BE

SEEING MORE COLOR, LESS COLOR?

>> SO SO RIGHT NOW IT IS WE'RE

PROBABLY ARE WESTERN PART OF

THE STATE IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD

OF US, WHICH IS TYPICAL.

>> WITH THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS

AND EVERYTHING FOR US. I WOULD

EXPECT US TO

PETE COLORS TO TAKE PLACE OUT

THERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF

WEEKS. AND THEN ABOUT A WEEK OR

2. AFTER THAT, WE SHOULD SEE

PETE COLORS IN IN THE VIEWING

AREA HERE AS IT MOVES TOWARDS

THE COAST.

>> WHERE WILL HE GOT A FEW DAYS

TO A WEEK LATER AFTER THAT.

>> SO THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE SHOULD

HEAD OUT TO TAKE THOSE FAMILY

PORTRAITS. HOW DO YOU KNOW

GOING INTO THE SEASON'S IF IT'S

GOING TO BE A PRETTY FOLIAGE

SEASON OR IF IT'S GOING TO BE

BARELY ANYTHING THERE TO SEE.

>> SO THE SO A LOT OF IT IS

DEPENDENT ON WHETHER A BALL

WHICH SEASON IS TRIGGERED BY

DE LANGE. BUT DEPENDING ON

WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT

THE SUMMER AND THEN INTO THE

FALL, WE'LL DETERMINED THEY

FOLIAGE COLORS THAT WE HAVE.

IF WE HAVE A REAL DRIVING

CONDITIONS DURING THE SUMMER

WHERE WE MIGHT AREAS IN THE

STATE THAT HAVE EXTREME

DROUGHT. WE WOULD EXPECT THE

COLORS TO BE MORE MUTED.

IN THE FALL OF WE HAVE A RULE

RAINY SEASON, LOTS OF CLOUDS

AND EVERYTHING WHERE WE DON'T

GET THE SUNLIGHT AND THE

TEMPERATURES WE CAN ALSO EXPECT

THE FULL AGE TO BE MUTED WITH

THAT TYPE OF CONDITIONS.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S VERY

INTERESTING. DOCTOR BARGAIN

WITH NC STATE UNIVERSITY, THANK

YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.