Cooler Temperatures to Kickstart New England Foliage

The fall season in New England with all of its color is a relatively short period between the summer greens and the winter white. Transitions by their very nature are volatile, and this past week, a violent cold front broke a streak of hot humid weather with cooling winds and spectacular lighting. The calm after the storm began with a towering rainbow, and the weather since has been been bright, blue and breezy; perfect weather to bring about the brightest of New England foliage. When the early autumn weather dons a more fall-like feel, we tend to key in on the signs of fall occurring around us. The evening chorus still features crickets and katydids, but they seemingly chirp with less fervor. Nights are getting longer — the sun now rises on the good side of 6AM everywhere in New England now — and nights have more time to cool down once darkness falls. Morning mists have become a near-daily occurrence around the notches and in the river valleys, lingering long into the daylight before burning off.

Temperatures this past week even dropped into the thirties in a few far northern locations, which have further kickstarted the color. We could easily be seeing peak color in about two weeks in far northern areas like the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the Aroostook Hills in Maine. From there, the progression of foliage will slowly develop over the subsequent three to four weeks thereafter as it moves down in elevation, southward and towards the coast of New England throughout the season.

While waiting for the colors to arrive, a great way to enjoy the fall-like weather is to celebrate the agricultural heritage of the region. The sweet smell of the ripening concord grapes in my yard and bright Harvest Supermoon overhead this week reminds us that September offers the greatest bounty at garden and farmers’ markets. Agricultural fair season is now ramping up, and the ‘Big E’, New England’s largest fair, begins this weekend in Massachusetts. For me though, more than anything else, cool September weather means apple picking, and my family met with friends this past Sunday for our first trip to the local orchard.

Apple picking has become really become a cherished autumn tradition in our family, but I don’t think that there is a more time-honored tradition in New England than the fall foliage drive. Leaf peeping here is more than just about seeing colorful leaves, and much of Yankee Magazine’s September/October issue, out now on news stands, is devoted to slower routes through the region, where a complete autumn experience can be found. Topping the list this year is the Mohawk Trail through central and western Massachusetts. Known to be America’s first ‘scenic tourist route’, the Trail is celebrating its 100th year this year, and many of the scenic villages along the way are pulling out all the stops to celebrate this autumn. The issue goes on to feature a scenic slow route in each state, where you can stop along the way and enjoy some of the local culture, history or flavor. There might be a pumpkin patch, a scenic park or old cemetery with stately old maples, or place to pick up a cider donut and maple candy. A few of the routes I know well, a few I’m adding to the list to check out this year, or in years ahead. The featured routes include:MaineNew HampshireVermontMassachusettsConnecticutRhode Island

Realistically, we are still a few weeks away from enjoying the foliage and leaf peeping, but thereafter, we’re only a few weeks from it fading away. There’s a tendency to want to rush and cram everything into this short, beautiful transition period, but we hope that these issues inspire visitors to take in the season in sips, let the speedometer needle slip and savor the season. We’ll see you out there!