IF its just the interior needles and the discoloration is not on the outside of the canopy, likely just seasonal needle shedding.

{{gwi:1092233}}

This is a popular concern late summer and autumn.

normal-called fallcast

I've heard it called flagging

Here is a link that might be useful: WSU cedar flagging

Flagging is different from fallcasting. Flagging is when new growth dies back and droops downward, leaving a brown or orangish 'flag' draped from the branch or leader. Flagging is a common symptom of insect damage, and of brown rot infection in flowering cherries.

I don't know why WSU would call this 'flagging'. I haven't hear that use of the word before, in 20+ years gardening. Flagging is new growth, not old foliage. Perhaps it's a regionalism I haven't heard before, or a shift in terminology? It's confusing if so.

All evergreens drop leaves at some point. Every species has its own season of dropping a noticeable percentage of its older foliage. For a lot of conifers it's late summer/early fall. Madrones drop their old leaves in summer, rhodies in fall. Live oaks and hollies drop old leaves in spring. Evergreens just don't drop all their leaves at once, like deciduous stuff does.

Thanks! Glad to hear it is normal!
cathie

I came to the NW 11 years ago and, shortly after, learned from a local forester (OSU Extension Service) that it's called "cedar flagging."

Here's info from BC
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/HFP/publications/00198/cedar_flagging.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: cedar flagging

The Western Red Cedar in our area have also looked like that the past few weeks. Not too different than normal but it seems like the yellow/orange has been more pronounced, perhaps b/c of the extra heat this year. However, as is often the case in October, the strong outflow winds of the last few days have caused most of that old foliage to fall and the trees now look as green as normal.

Species grows wild over a much broader range of site conditions than are ideal for it. That coupled with widespread development and its impacts on (retained) tree health make gaunt cedars that drop much old foliage each year a pretty common sight here. Like the much-planted exotic ornamental Viburnum davidii, western red cedar is "not attractive unless well grown".