Knoxville fall color show expected to be short
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Knoxville-area fall foliage is expected to make a shorter appearance this year because of a lack of rainfall and near record high average temperatures.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that Knoxville is 5.35 inches below normal for the year on rainfall.
Jeff Buckley of the National Weather Service office in Morristown says the lack of rainfall leads to a quicker change in the leaf cycle, so the Knoxville area’s color span will be shorter and will have regional variation. He says the Knoxville area should expect primo color in late October and early November.
The mountains have experienced a bit more rain and are already showing fall colors. A report on colors at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be found on the National Park Service website.
