Image: istock.com/DenisTangneyJr via AFP Relaxnews

The kids are back in school. The other day you spotted a lone, sad leaf browning at the edges at your feet. And Starbucks has released its Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s official: leaf-peeping season is once again upon us.

For nature lovers in the United States who have a habit of missing optimum foliage viewings in their area, there’s a fall foliage prediction map that can help you plan out your autumn weekends.

Smokymountains.com collects data points from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including past temperatures and forecast temperatures, along historic foliage trends.

The data is then turned into an algorithm to project peak foliage viewing times.

This year, peak foliage is predicted to begin across parts of the country through the weeks of Oct. 15 and 22, particularly across parts of Western and Northeastern U.S.

According to the algorithm’s projections, the leaves will have fallen and browned by the week of Nov. 5 for much of the northern half of the U.S., save for parts of the Midwest. JB

France was top international travel destination of 2017, says UNWTO