Every autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colors. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer ...

This incredible display is primarily due to the presence and breakdown of various pigments within the leaves. Chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for the green color, starts to fade as daylight ...

especially if you want to sync your leaf-peeping trip up with peak colors—the prime time when leaves are bursting with color from brilliant scarlet to deep oranges and bright yellows.

The tree intentionally drops the leaves to prepare for winter. And the changing of the colors of the leaves is an active process, not just a fading away. As with most natural occurrences, the changes ...

Gardner said, by mid-to-late October, the fall leaf color should work its way down those mountain areas and into areas of lower elevation. ExploreFall, a website previously featured on WRAL ...