When Does Fall Foliage Make An Appearance in Louisiana?

It's not official but there are signs all across Louisiana. They are playing football on Friday nights in Crowley, Breaux Bridge, and Alexandria. There are tailgate parties in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles on Saturdays. And on Sunday people in all walks of life across Louisiana are dusting off their favorite paper bags for the return of the New Orleans Saints. Y'all it's fall.

As we said, not officially but the signs are pointing to two good months of pumpkin spice lattes, Ugg boots, puffer vests, and homemade roux.  People in Louisiana do love the autumn.

We'd probably like it a lot better if one of autumn's most endearing features, cooler temperatures, arrived a lot sooner. Allegedly, a cold front is coming in just a few days. It may or may not cool things off for us. But such is life. The not-so-cool temperatures of fall just give us time at the beach by ourselves while everyone else starts to shiver north of I-20.

Fall could and should be prime time for tourism in Louisiana. In fact, one Louisiana town is asking for your help in propelling them into USA Today's "Best Places to Visit for Fall". If you'd like to support tourism in Louisiana you may cast your vote in the USA Today contest, right here.

But while fall or autumn in Louisiana is alive with fairs, festivals, music events, brew fests, and more there is one particular aspect of autumn in Louisiana that seems to rarely get mentioned. It's the incredible fall foliage that our state's large and expansive forests provide.

Difference Between Fall Foliage and Dead Leaves From the Heat

That is probably a distinction the "leafers" in New England ever have to answer. Here in Louisiana, it's a good question. For the answer, you can check one of two devices. The first is your thermometer. If the temperature hasn't dropped below 50 degrees in the past three or four months, there's a good chance that foliage color is because of heat stress.

The second device you should check if you are a fan of fall foliage is the calendar. If the calendar still says September, then chances are the leaves aren't turning yet. According to The Heart of Louisiana, a website about our state, you most likely going to notice the leaves beginning to change in mid to late October.

The best place to view fall colors in the form of changing leaves is in north Louisiana. Our state actually has some rolling hills that offer a delightful palate for the changing hues along the I-20 corridor.

How Long Will The Fall Foliage Last?

Once the colors begin to change you can expect them to hang around for two or maybe three weeks. Of course, all it takes is one strong cold front with severe storms to clean all the leaves off of the trees, so if you do plan an expedition, make sure you check the weather forecast.