Mountains having an unusually long Fall color season

LINVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - By the time Halloween comes around in the North Carolina mountains, in most years, the trees are barren and the temperatures have chilled.

Not so much this year.

The warm weather in September and for much of October has kept leaves on the trees and led to a late Fall color season that could stretch into November.

“Very unusual year,” said restaurant owner Christa Poore.

This should be the time of year, she says, when the season has wound down and people are preparing for winter. Instead, people are still flocking to Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks and other leaf peeping hangouts. 95-year-old Marian Mong of Granite falls came up for a picnic and was surprised by how much color was left.

“I think it is beautiful,” Mong said.

On Grandfather Mountain, where the fall colors are usually gone by now, there are still pockets of red and yellow. Many trees were stripped bare by high winds over the past weekend but any sheltered areas remain rich in color.

Experts say the show is about to end though, with predictions of rain over the next few days that will knock a lot of leaves to the ground.

Though some trees will still be turning, the bulk of the color show will now move into the Foothills and eventually the Piedmont.

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