Gray skies, cooler temperatures and pockets of rain are in the forecast for the D.C. region this week. It’s starting to feel like fall, but when will the spectacular colors of the season reveal themselves? 

John Seiler, professor of forest biology emeritus at Virginia Tech, said there’s some good news: “We’re going to get some good fall color no matter what.”

But there’s also some bad news: “It might be a little patchier than normal, like a place that just kind of missed some of the storms.” 

As far as when the fall show will start, Seiler said, “The big peak will not be until the end of October.”

Seiler said if the region gets more rain between now and then, the colors will last longer and be more vivid. As of now, leaf peepers in Virginia will be in for a pretty good show of fall color between Oct. 24 through the first weekend of November.

If you’re making plans to go out of the area to see the foliage, he advised against putting too much stock into any one tree.

“Individual trees that are in parking lots, along sidewalks, planted along highways — those trees are not very accurate because they’re often under considerable stress from compaction, highway construction.”

Seiler offered this advice if you do plan a trip to the mountains.

“Pick a really curvy road, that’s where you find them, right? Because the curvy road, the mountains give you the elevation and they give you the slope position, top of the mountain, side of the mountain, bottom of the mountain and then the curvy road gives you changes in aspect.” 

Seiler said that means sometimes you’re facing south and sometimes facing north, giving you better views of different kinds of tree species that change to different colors in the fall. 

Seiler said the best fall show will likely be in the Mount Rogers area of Virginia, where the elevation reaches around 5,000 feet.

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