"Fall's dazzling colors will soon transform woods and forests around the U.S., delighting spectators — if they can figure out when to see the fall foliage at the peak of their transformation.

A map of foliage patterns is here to help, offering a best-guess guide to when aspen, birch, larch and maple trees will turn vivid shades of gold, orange and crimson.

The forecast produced by the Smoky Mountains website predicts much of the U.S. will start seeing the most dramatic colors by late September to mid-October. But fall foliage can be very tricky to predict, especially as climate change brings warmer temperatures and disrupts historic rainfall patterns."

Bill Chappell reports for NPR September 14, 2022. [2]