When Will Minnesota’s Fall Colors Be The Best? 2021 Fall Foliage Prediction Map is Here

In less than a week, we will enter September, which in my professional opinion, signifies the beginning of fall.

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Fall is a beautiful season in Minnesota! And thanks to Smoky Mountains, you won't miss the prime of fall colors this year! They have created an interactive map (seen below) that allows people to estimate when fall colors will peak. With the drought conditions we've been seeing across Minnesota this summer, the DNR says we can expect fall colors to peak a little earlier than normal.

Use the slider on the bottom of the interactive map above to see when the fall colors will peak in different parts of Minnesota and across the country.

At the end of August, beginning of September, those in Northern Minnesota will see minimal and patchy changes, and then begin to peak around September 27th.

According to the map, Southern Minnesota's leaves will be the best around October 11th.

By November 15th, the entire country will be past peak (with the exception of southern Texas, Lousiana, and Florida).

The map bases its conclusion on the following data points:

*   NOAA historical temperatures
*   NOAA historical precipitation
*   NOAA forecast temperatures
*   NOAA forecast precipitation
*   Historical leaf peak trends
*   Peak observation trends
*   Historical model outputs from previous years

Leaf predictions, of course, are not 100% accurate, but the team at Smoky Mountains is confident in their data.

Fall leaf map creator, David Angotti, said:

"[A]fter publishing our predictive fall foliage map for nearly a decade, we are quite confident in our data sources, process, and algorithm. Our experience combined with a scheduled mid-season update has us especially confident about this year’s predictions."

Smoky Mountains also created a list of the top places to see fall foliage in all 50 states.

According to the list, the best places in Minnesota are the LeDuc Historic Estate, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway.