KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Fall officially begins at 2:19 p.m. EDT on September 22.
Earth is tilted on an axis at 23.5°. This tilt results in Earth’s seasonal changes. During the fall and spring, Earth is neither tilted toward nor away from the Sun. During the summer, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun while the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away. During the winter, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun while the Southern Hemisphere is tilted toward it.
When will we see peak fall foliage in East Tennessee?
On the day of the Autumnal Equinox, there is an equal amount of daylight and darkness at all latitudes. Over the weeks leading up to the first day of winter—which features the least amount of daylight for the year—more than two hours of daylight will be lost.
As the fall season progresses, temperatures will get cooler. On the first day of fall (September 22), the average high temperature in Knoxville is 81° while the average low is 59°. On the last day of fall (December 21), the average high temperature in Knoxville is 59° while the average low is 32°.
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Eventually, the cooler temperatures will bring an end to the growing season. On average, the first frost of the season in Knoxville is on October 24. The first hard freeze usually follows on November 2.
One of the highlights of fall is the changing colors of the leaves. Some low color is already starting to appear in the highest elevations of the mountains. In this area, the peak of the foliage usually occurs in early to mid-October. In the Valley, peak color arrives a few weeks later, in late October/early November…