2017 Foliage Report | Fall Colors Set to Emerge Before Columbus Day
Wondering where to find the best autumn color for Columbus Day weekend? Learn more in our latest New England fall foliage report.
By Jim Salge|Oct 05 2017|
Traditions and outdoor activities are the hallmark of this three day weekend.
Credit: Jim Salge
Traditions and outdoor activities are the hallmark of this three day weekend.
Credit: Jim SalgeCredit: Jim Salge Although deciding where to go is rarely an issue, this year it’s looking as though it’ll take more exploring than usual to find great color. Driving around the North Country last weekend, after the record heat wave, it was challenging to locate consistent foliage displays. Sure, there was some terrific color to be seen, but much of the landscape was either a palette of muted colors, faded by the heat, or still very green, ready to turn but needing some cool weather to coax it along.
Basin Pond on the last day of September. Little to no foliage was present.
Credit: Jeff SinonCredit: Jeff Sinon So, after a great setup this year, what happened? And will we see some of the fall foliage recover in time for the weekend? A cool start to September had some bright reds in the foliage starting early, but the latter half of September turned hot and dry, which stalled the progression of colors. The leaves that turned early then browned and fell, and the hot weather prevented the next wave from coming in. Fortunately, some ideally cool conditions last weekend began to push the show along again in the areas that turn first. Heavy frost covered the ground in parts of northern New England on Sunday and Monday mornings, and more reasonably cool nights are in the forecast. And finally, more and more color up north has been emerging by the day.
A heavy frost covered the landscape in Northern New England Sunday Morning
Credit: Jim SalgeCredit: Jim Salge With this, we’ve noticed an interesting pattern emerging on some hillsides. The green down low is just starting to turn, and up high there are muted browns on trees that fell victim to the heat, but at elevations in between, some new bright reds are showing on hillside maples. This may bode well for this weekend in the north, if the colors come in rapidly in this week’s improved conditions — but this also gives us hope for the sea of green farther south in the coming weeks. So, given these delayed conditions, what do you do this coming weekend?
2017 FOLIAGE UPDATE: WHERE TO FIND COLUMBUS DAY COLOR
First, it’s a great time to explore a new area. While so much of autumn in New England is about tradition, the familiar routes simply may not be holding color yet. This week North Conway, New Hampshire, was green. Moosehead Lake, Maine, was just turning. Stowe, Vermont, had remarkably low color. But moving up in elevation or into adjacent valleys, there will be some fine color. Keep your same familiar base camp, certainly, but be willing to go up north, or uphill. We continue to recommend Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, New Hampshire’s Great North Woods, and the mountains of western Maine as the areas with the highest color. The northern Whites and northern Greens are rapidly emerging now, too, especially the beautiful Zealand Valley.
Fall Color Is Finally Coming On Again In The Great North Woods Of NH
Credit: Chris Whiton
Thank you for this truthful article. We drove up to Dixville Notch from Boston and on September 28 and 29. There was little to no color as we drove that distance. A spattering of color along the roads but almost none in the higher elevations. We drive to New Hampshire every year and this was certainly a disappointing year. However, I agree that there is much more to taking a trip to see foliage then just the sites. We saw waterfalls, pumpkin patches and had lunch and dinner at some great places and met so many wonderful people. We will return next year in hopes that the colors will be at peak when we make the trip. In the meantime we thank you for telling it like it is. Not giving readers false information and reminding them that New England has so much to offer at this beautiful time of year.