【Watch Friends】

As autumn approaches,Watch Friends let's turn our attention from summer 2016 (RIP) and focus on the greatest thing the latter half of the year has to offer: Fall foliage.

Those warm hues, that satisfying crunch underfoot-- it's all just a few weeks away.

But when does it kick off in your area? There's an interactive map for that.

This interactive map from SmokyMountains.com predicts the weeks during which each part of the U.S. will experience peak fall foliage.

But how does a map like this one accurately predict when and where leaves will peak?

According to a statement from Wes Melton, an engineer who worked on the 2016 map, it relies on an algorithm that analyzes millions of temperature and forecast data points gathered from the National Weather Service, as well as historical leaf peak trends and peak observation trends.

It then sends out more than 40,000 predictive data points that tell users when and where -- down to the county level -- to expect change.

Check out the map yourself, and start planning that weekend trip.

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