Your nature year
Asheville, North Carolinathrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Asheville?
For a day trip, Blue Ridge Parkway is 13 miles off; its fall foliage is usually at its best Oct 1–31. Blue Ridge Parkway (13 mi) is the pick for wildflowers, usually Apr 21–May 10. At some 2,062 feet up, Asheville is on higher ground than most towns in the region. At the nearest NOAA station, Asheville, the average first fall frost is Oct 31 and the last spring frost Apr 6, which leaves Asheville some 208 growing days. About 5 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. Leaves usually come out around Mar 2 and the first flowers around Apr 8. We follow 8 places within 150 miles of Asheville; the nearest lies 13 miles to the northeast. Across North Carolina, fall color is usually well under way by mid-October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Best this weekend nearby
- Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina · 13 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Oct 1–31
Sat Oct 3: Chance Rain Showers, 64°F · Sun Oct 4: Rain Showers Likely, 59°F
No report yet - Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee · 55 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Oct 1–Nov 10
Sat Oct 3: Chance Rain Showers, 75°F · Sun Oct 4: Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, 70°F
No report yet
Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service. 1 more nearby place has only regional or statewide timing, so it isn't listed.
Asheville's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 6 to ~Oct 31
- First leaf ~Mar 2
- First bloom ~Apr 8
- Fall color under way ~Oct 18 (NC)
- Today
Near Asheville right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by mid-October in North CarolinaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~3 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Oct 31 · last spring frost around Apr 6NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Asheville (1.7 mi, 50% dates)~5 weeks
- Fall foliage · Blue Ridge Parkway · 13 miusually Oct 1–31~3 days
Asheville's nature year
- Spring green-upMar
- Wildflowers · Blue Ridge ParkwayApr–May
- Last spring frostApr
- Synchronous fireflies · Great Smoky MountainsMay–Jun
- Fall color (NC)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Blue Ridge Parkway · 13 miusually Oct 1–31~3 days
- Pisgah National Forest · 23 miStatewide: usually well under way by mid-October~2 weeks
- Nantahala National Forest · 51 miStatewide: usually well under way by mid-October~2 weeks
Synchronous fireflies
- Great Smoky Mountains · 55 miusually May 21–Jun 10~8 months
Wildflowers
- Blue Ridge Parkway · 13 miusually Apr 21–May 10~7 months
- Pisgah National Forest · 23 miLocal timing: Mar 21–May 15~6 months
- Nantahala National Forest · 51 miLocal timing: Mar 15–May 15~6 months
Snow in Asheville
Snow usually becomes possible around Jan 20 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Asheville (1.7 mi away): 12 inches of snow in an average year, about 3.1 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 6
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 31
About 208 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Mar 2
First bloom around Apr 8
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Asheville (1.7 mi from Asheville), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Asheville?
On average around Oct 31, and the last spring frost around Apr 6: about 208 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Asheville, 1.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Asheville?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Mar 2 and first bloom around Apr 8, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Asheville?
Blue Ridge Parkway, 13 miles (usually Oct 1–31); Pisgah National Forest, 23 miles (statewide: usually well under way by mid-October); Nantahala National Forest, 51 miles (statewide: usually well under way by mid-October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see synchronous fireflies near Asheville?
Great Smoky Mountains, 55 miles (usually May 21–Jun 10). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Asheville?
Snow usually becomes possible around Jan 20: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Asheville. An average year brings 12 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)