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Foothills Parkway West

2,100 ft 55 min from GatlinburgCrowd level 3/5

The overlook highway. Thirty-three miles of ridge-top driving with pull-offs looking straight into the park - the single best way to see the color line from outside it.

Color today · Aug 25

0/100

Still green

Canopy is summer green with only scattered early turners.

Predicted peak

Oct 31

Window Oct 27 – Nov 5

Historical median

Oct 28

+2.7 day weather shift

Peak probability today

0%

78% model confidence

Expected vibrancy

68/100

0 cold nights, 0 frosts logged

This location vs. its own normal year

Foothills Parkway West is running 2.7 days late compared with its own ten-year day-by-day climate record from the ERA5-Land reanalysis, downscaled to this elevation.

Timing shift
+2.7d

Peak pushed later

Daytime temperature
+2.5°F

Warmer than normal here

Rainfall
58% of normal

3.2 in observed · 5.5 in typical

Cold nights logged
0

Nights below 45°F · air dryness 1.79 kPa

How far to trust this

Strong evidence

Forecast-grade through Sep 8. After that the curve is this location's historical average, not a prediction of this year's weather.

  • Numerical weather forecast through Sep 8
  • Cloud-free satellite canopy scene 14 days old
  • Timing corrected against 4 scored past seasons

Leaf-drop risk

Next 14 days

No warnings or leaf-stripping weather in the window. Color that arrives should hold.

Aug 25Sep 7

Next three weeks here

0

Aug 25

0

Aug 26

0

Aug 27

0

Aug 28

0

Aug 29

0

Aug 30

0

Aug 31

0

Sep 1

0

Sep 2

0

Sep 3

0

Sep 4

0

Sep 5

0

Sep 6

0

Sep 7

0

Sep 8

0

Sep 9

0

Sep 10

0

Sep 11

0

Sep 12

0

Sep 13

0

Sep 14

Peak dates, recent years

How this year's prediction compares with observed peaks here.

  • 2022
    Oct 26
  • 2023
    Nov 1
  • 2024
    Oct 29
  • 2025
    Oct 25
  • 2026
    Oct 31

What turns here

  • Sourwood
  • Black gum
  • Red maple
  • Hickory
  • Oak

Weather notes

  • The fall season has not started yet, so timing is on the historical baseline. Weather adjustments begin once September observations accumulate.
  • Past seasons scored here ran 2.7 days later than the model expected, so that correction is applied.

Plan around it

Green

Scenic drive

Walland to Wears Valley section

The newest stretch, huge sweeping views and almost always moving traffic.

Overlook

Look Rock Tower

Short walk to a 360° observation platform above the haze layer.

Photography

Sunset pull-offs mile 12–17

West-facing, layered ridges, the shot that sells the Smokies.

Plan a trip around thisAlert me before peak here