2018 New England Fall Foliage Forecast
Planning a New England autumn adventure? Our forecaster predicts a late season of bright, bold color. Read on for the full 2018 fall foliage forecast.
By Jim Salge|Aug 16 2018|
A sailboat is moored in a pond reflecting peak autumn colors.
Credit: Jim Salge
A sailboat is moored in a pond reflecting peak autumn colors.
Credit: Jim SalgeCredit: Jim Salge Fall is a celebration that will feel especially well earned this year. This summer has been hot and unreasonably, historically humid. A fall-like morning sounds so idyllic right now! The cool weather will certainly come though, and when it does, it will kick-start the cascade of colors that spreads across New England annually. Our fall weather is beautiful, and the average weather and climate patterns are well suited to bringing out the best colors in our forests. Additionally, bright fall colors can develop after a wide range of seasonal conditions in the spring and summer. Simply put, our autumn colors rarely disappoint.
Maples lining a wetland are reflected in ripping water in late September in southern New Hampshire.
Credit: Jim SalgeCredit: Jim Salge Foliage seasons can be different from year to year, though. They can start early or end late. They can range from predominantly yellow to overwhelmingly red. They can be strikingly vibrant or complex with muted tones. Many of the factors that go into these differences are already determined, and some require good fall weather to fully reach peak potential. But in general, what you want is a seasonably mild and reasonably wet spring, a summer with adequate rainfall, and, most important, lots of warm, sunny days and clear, cool nights in the weeks leading up to autumn.
Hillsides bursting with color are the dream of every leaf peeper in New England.
Credit: Jim SalgeCredit: Jim Salge So how do we think this year will stack up? We have to look back on the factors that have affected our summer canopy of leaves so far. And overall, things have stacked up fairly well.
2018 NEW ENGLAND FALL FOLIAGE FORECAST | THE LEAD-UP
The story of our forest canopy began this winter, when we narrowly averted disaster. After a frigid January and a snowy start to the winter, an unprecedented midwinter thaw in late February nearly swelled the buds on the trees to the point that later frosts would have been disastrous. Temperatures touched 80 degrees in southern New England, and even Manchester, New Hampshire, hit 76 degrees, a new all-time highest temperature for the month. True to form for New England, it snowed two days later. And when the switch flipped back to cold, it stayed there. It didn’t reach 76 in Manchester again until May, and Worcester, Massachusetts, had its snowiest meteorological spring ever, with five days of measurable snow in April. This streak of cool weather stalled the trees from leafing out a few weeks later than normal; many remained bare well into May. When the leaves finally began growing, the precipitation in the region all but shut off. The late snowpack provided ample water for the leaves, but the lack of additional rain had two other offsetting effects. Rain in the spring can promote the growth of fungi of many kinds, good and bad. The dry weather warded off a detrimental leaf fungus that we look out for every year, but it also limited the propagation of the fungus that is most effective in managing gypsy moth populations. We have therefore certainly seen some defoliation from a variety of caterpillars this year, but it is scattered throughout the region. In Vermont, for example, 75,000 acres were chewed through, but that’s only about 1.5 percent of the total forested landscape. We’ve seen similar numbers from New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
A forest canopy thinned by hungry caterpillars this summer in Northern New Hampshire.
Credit: Jim Salge
including the likely hood of months to consider would have been helpful but thank you for a good try.
Hi there. Fall foliage in New England is an ongoing event, with peak color showing up at different times throughout the region from late September through late October. You can learn more about where you’re likely to find the best color in our September/October 2018 feature “Peak Perfection | How to Find Peak Foliage Color in New England.” See it here: https://newengland.com/yankee-magazine/seasons/fall/how-to-find-peak-foliage-color-in-new-england/
We plan on being in the area,from,September 24th to October 17th.Have never been to the New England States before! Very excited about seeing the area. We’ve heard it breath taking!
when will foilage poeak in southern & then in northern maine
Gotta say this is something I miss most not living in New England anymore. ?
I love the White Mountains in the fall. The vibrant colors of red and golds shimmering from the leaves. The sound of rushing water as I drive through the Kancamagus Highway. Living in Miami now, I miss the White Mountains every late September, early October.
I live in San Diego now but grew up in Center Harbor NH. There was one particular oak tree on Bean rd that was hundreds of years old and it would always be the first in the area to turn. Would start about mid august and be a reminder that fall was coming soon.