GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Usually by this time of the year, we'd see an explosion of fall colors in the North Carolina mountains. Typically, fall colors peak in the higher elevations of the mountains from late September to early October.
That's not the case this year. We're only just now seeing leaves starting to change color at the highest elevations.
The color change is running about two weeks behind schedule and counting. Temperatures have a big effect on when the color change starts. Cool temperatures signal to the trees that it's time to start losing leaves for the winter.
This year, temperatures have been well above average, especially at night. In fact, in September we had 0 nights at 60° or cooler, compared to the normal of 14 nights.
If you're looking forward to nice fall colors, hope for cooler weather. We'll keep you updated.
► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WFMY News 2 App: Apple Users, Android Users