Heres when and where to see peak fall foliage

Heres when and where to see peak fall foliageHeres when and where to see peak fall foliageTheres something thatautumn lovershave been patiently waiting for all year, and its notnew pumpkin spice drinks(although, TBH, weve been waiting for those too). Were talking about leaf peeping, the unofficial sport of the season, where people trek all over the country to chase and gram thefall leaveschanging colors.Mother Nature works on her own schedule, but to help with your travel planning, Smoky Mountains has released their annualFall Foliage Prediction Map. The map uses National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data and a complex algorithm to help predict peak viewing opportunities by state and date. While leaves started changing in August, there is mucksmuschenstill time to catch some spectacular colors in most of the country. But grab yourfall bootsand get peeping quickly, because by the end of October, youll be past peak season.And hey, if you need a quick refresher on the science behind the changing colors Year-round, leaves contain pigments such as chlorophyll - which cause their green color - and carotenoids - which cause yellow, orange, and brown colors (carotenoids are also why carrots are orange). Red and purple hues are caused by anthocyanins, which are produced in leaves during late summer. During the shorter fall days, the reduced amount of daylight causes chlorophyll to break down, letting the leaves greenness give way so other colors can shine through. Basically, like the rest of us, trees are showing off their fall style, and we are here for it.This article was originally published on Brit + Co.