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Foliage Update: Colors Continue To Migrate South
October 31, 2025 at 12:58 AM EDT
By WeatherBug Meteorologists, Alyssa Robinette and Andrew Rosenthal
Autumn is moving into its final chapter, as the calendar switches to November this weekend. While northern regions are now past peak, the southern valleys and lower elevations still hold onto warm tones of gold and orange.
Astronomically, the first day of fall was September 22, when the sun’s perpendicular rays crossed the equator. Each day is getting shorter, and this causes a chemical reaction in the leaves that leads to the color changing. As days become cooler and shorter, the trees’ ability to make chlorophyll, a pigment that keeps the leaves green, decreases and causes the leaves to become red, orange and purple.
The best remaining color in the central U.S. is concentrated in the Mid-Mississippi and Lower Mississippi Valleys and into the Tennessee Valley. States like Arkansas, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and northern Alabama are showing moderate foliage with yellows and rusty oranges dominating the landscape. Southern Kentucky and parts of middle Tennessee also retain moderate color, offering a softer but still scenic autumn backdrop.
For Southern leaf-peepers, Interstate 40 through Tennessee provides a beautiful drive, especially from Nashville east toward the Cumberland Plateau. Interstate 55 through Missouri, Arkansas and northern Mississippi offers glimpses of lingering color along river valleys. Interstate 24 from Nashville into northern Alabama and Georgia winds through the moderate foliage zones, making it a great route for weekend travelers.
In the East, the colors have shifted southward from the Northeast into the Mid-Atlantic, with good foliage in spots near Washington, D.C., and into the central and southern Appalachians, including Virginia, West Virginia, and western North Carolina. While the season was a bit muted due to a dry summer, moderate foliage has still been seen across the cities and suburbs.
Interstate 81 through Virginia and into Tennessee remains a prime route for catching the last bursts of Appalachian color. Interstate 64 through the Shenandoah Valley offers sweeping views of lingering foliage, while Interstate 77 through southern West Virginia and into North Carolina provides a winding path through moderate color zones. Even a trip along Interstates 85 and 95 is helpful, with numerous roads that would take you into the best colors.
Saturday looks mostly sunny and mild across these regions, with highs in the 50s and 60s—perfect for outdoor activities and scenic drives. Sunday brings cooler temperatures, with highs in the upper 40s to mid-50s and increasing clouds, especially in the Appalachians. A few light showers may develop late Sunday in the East, but overall, conditions remain favorable for enjoying the final flourish of fall.
Over the course of the autumn, WeatherBug Meteorologists will provide an outlook on the foliage conditions across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. This will include an updated map of conditions and details of these great colors. WeatherBug will also give some suggestions for roads to take for a leaf-peeping road trip, and a forecast for the weekend, so you can know what to expect as you visit the colors.
Be sure to check your WeatherBug every week throughout the season to find out which region sees the best colors.
Astronomically, the first day of fall was September 22, when the sun’s perpendicular rays crossed the equator. Each day is getting shorter, and this causes a chemical reaction in the leaves that leads to the color changing. As days become cooler and shorter, the trees’ ability to make chlorophyll, a pigment that keeps the leaves green, decreases and causes the leaves to become red, orange and purple.
The best remaining color in the central U.S. is concentrated in the Mid-Mississippi and Lower Mississippi Valleys and into the Tennessee Valley. States like Arkansas, western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and northern Alabama are showing moderate foliage with yellows and rusty oranges dominating the landscape. Southern Kentucky and parts of middle Tennessee also retain moderate color, offering a softer but still scenic autumn backdrop.
For Southern leaf-peepers, Interstate 40 through Tennessee provides a beautiful drive, especially from Nashville east toward the Cumberland Plateau. Interstate 55 through Missouri, Arkansas and northern Mississippi offers glimpses of lingering color along river valleys. Interstate 24 from Nashville into northern Alabama and Georgia winds through the moderate foliage zones, making it a great route for weekend travelers.
In the East, the colors have shifted southward from the Northeast into the Mid-Atlantic, with good foliage in spots near Washington, D.C., and into the central and southern Appalachians, including Virginia, West Virginia, and western North Carolina. While the season was a bit muted due to a dry summer, moderate foliage has still been seen across the cities and suburbs.
Interstate 81 through Virginia and into Tennessee remains a prime route for catching the last bursts of Appalachian color. Interstate 64 through the Shenandoah Valley offers sweeping views of lingering foliage, while Interstate 77 through southern West Virginia and into North Carolina provides a winding path through moderate color zones. Even a trip along Interstates 85 and 95 is helpful, with numerous roads that would take you into the best colors.
Saturday looks mostly sunny and mild across these regions, with highs in the 50s and 60s—perfect for outdoor activities and scenic drives. Sunday brings cooler temperatures, with highs in the upper 40s to mid-50s and increasing clouds, especially in the Appalachians. A few light showers may develop late Sunday in the East, but overall, conditions remain favorable for enjoying the final flourish of fall.
Over the course of the autumn, WeatherBug Meteorologists will provide an outlook on the foliage conditions across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. This will include an updated map of conditions and details of these great colors. WeatherBug will also give some suggestions for roads to take for a leaf-peeping road trip, and a forecast for the weekend, so you can know what to expect as you visit the colors.
Be sure to check your WeatherBug every week throughout the season to find out which region sees the best colors.