Capture the best colors of the season with this year’s Fall Foliage Prediction Map!

Now that the fall season is in full swing, we’re sure many of you have started with your fall photography projects. However, for those who are still working on their plans, gear of choice and shooting locations, this year’s Fall Foliage Prediction Map may prove to be a useful resource.

This interactive map forecasts the progression of the fall foliage throughout the US from early September to early November. With it, you can plan your photography trips in the coming weeks. This way, you can be at the right place at the right time to capture the dramatic colors of the season.

The annual Fall Foliage Prediction Map is an initiative of SmokyMountains.com, a travel brand that promotes the Smoky Mountain region. It all began in 2013 when potential visitors to the region would inquire about the best time to catch the fall foliage at its most brilliant. What started out as a side project for statistical expert, airline transport pilot and SmokyMountains.com founder David Angiotti and his team eventually became one of the best fall resources and prominent fall leaf maps in the US.

Are you new to this fall leaf map? It’s actually very easy to use. On the Fall Foliage Prediction Map, simply move the slider to the right to view the forecasted progression of the season. Green areas indicate the states with unchanged foliage colors. Brown means the leaves in these areas are past their peak colors. The rest of the colors represent the vibrant changing of the leaves throughout the season.

This interactive map may not be 100% accurate. But according to its creators, it’s still a valuable tool based on carefully gathered and processed information. It uses a refined data model that relies on a combination of factors so it can be as precise as possible. These include historical temperature and precipitation, forecast temperature and precipitation, the type of tree known to be prominent in that geographic region, the historical trends in that area, and user data. Last year, the creators also invited end-users to provide real-time leaf reports to help with updates and make future versions as accurate as possible.

Visit the SmokyMountains.com Fall Foliage Prediction Map to learn more.