Labor Day and leaf color

The dogwoods are among the first to change color each year.

The dogwoods are among the first to change color each year at Inn on Main Street.

Visitors are already asking about the autumn leaf change here in the North Carolina mountains, and the forecast is good for Asheville and Weaverville.

No, we can’t tell you what day will be the leaf peak for any given location. We’ve actually seen some bursts of color already in trees here and there, but I suspect that has more to do with how dry our summer has been.

And a dry summer is a good thing for leaf peepers. Local leaf experts say the drier the summer, the more vibrant the colors. Asheville has had a dry summer, and Weaverville has lived up to its former name of Dry Ridge.

We still have good availability for October, the month in which every day is the leaf peak at some elevation or another. In fact, we still have rooms available for Labor Day weekend. And now that we have pooch-friendly rooms, you can bring Fido for a traipse in the woods now that days have grown cooler.