The fall foliage season begins later this month in the western part of the state. Officials say it can run from late September until late October or early November depending on weather.
Cat Kessler works for the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau. She says biologists and other experts are calling for especially vibrant colors this year.
"That has to do with the dry weather that we've had over the summer," Kessler says. "It causes the trees to build up a lot more of those bright pigments, especially those red pigments that people really associate with a fantastic fall season."
Kessler says there are more than 100 leaf-shedding tree varieties in the North Carolina mountains.
Up-to-date fall color reports can be found .
