Fall colors 2021: Foliage to boast vibrant yellows and oranges in the NC mountains

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina will see more vibrant fall foliage this year compared to 2020, according to AccuWeather.

The AccuWeather 2021 fall foliage forecast projects the Tar Heel state will see brighter leaves on tree this year, with especially striking yellows and oranges in the mountains.

One thing to watch, however, is tropical weather. If a windy tropical system moves through the area around peak leaf season, it would blow off the leaves before they reach their most beautiful.

"Last year, trees became stressed later in the summer in parts of the Northeast due to a couple of extended periods of dryness," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said. "As a result, there were early leaf droppings, and the brightness was OK, but not great."

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The exact timing of when leaves change colors depends on the weather leading up to fall.

Pastelok expects the mostly mild summer to delay the peak of fall colors about a week or two--perhaps pushing the peak in North Carolina into November.