Autumn is in full swing at ETSU. The air is getting colder, pumpkins are around every corner, and many students are asking what the fall color forecast will be.
Andrew Joyner, a professor at ETSU specializing in geoinformatics and disaster science and the Tennessee state climatologist, answered questions for the East Tennessean about the weather and fall foliage.
Daytime highs appear to be holding pretty consistently around 60-70 degrees. How long is that expected to continue?
“I expect us to be at or above average for the next week or so before we have another potential cold front around Oct. 29, which should keep us cool for a few days,” Joyner said. “It looks like we have a beautiful (but dry) week ahead, with temps remaining in that comfy 60-70s range for highs, with lows in the 40s for most locations – great leaf-peeping weather.”
Any major wind or rainstorms in the forecast over the next two weeks?
“Nothing like what we saw with Isaias, though cold fronts normally bring some gusty winds like we saw this past weekend,” Joyner said. “I would expect the same if the cold front arrives next Thursday, Oct. 29.”
At this point, how long is fall color expected to last based on weather conditions?
“I think we have several more weeks of good color, with those colors starting to show up in the Valley locations now,” Joyner said. “It looks like peak color for Johnson City will be toward the end of the first week of November, which is just a few days later than average. We’re really lucky to have so much elevation change in our area, which really extends the fall colors season.”
Fall is here to stay, and students are encouraged to get out and enjoy the colors before the end of the semester.
