New England

Peak Foliage Spreading Across New England

By Jim Salge|Oct 15 2015|

Beautiful Fall Colors In Every Color Along the Kancamagus Highway This Past Weekend!

Credit: Eric Gendron

The biggest tourism weekend of the fall in New England has come and gone, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. Cool mornings, bright warm sunny days, clear skies and endless views were the dominant conditions, and when it did cloud up in Northern New England, the mountains were dusted with the first snow of the season, creating a perfectly photogenic backdrop. This weather pattern is well-known for bringing about the best autumn color, and it was surprising how quickly we saw peak foliage spread across New England.

First Snowfall — The first snowfall of the year dusted the highest elevations this weekend!
*Credit: John Compton*

At this time last week, there was barely any peak foliage in the entire region, and we were wondering just how strong the color would be after the early season delay. Now a great majority of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are at or near peak, as color is emerging less late the further south you go in New England.

Foliage Comparison — Foliage has come on very strong this past week in New England!
*Credit: Yankee Magazine*

The best news, though, is that the color is almost universally vibrant. Sugar maples from the coast of Maine to the top of Jay Peak have donned every imaginable color this year, including some of the deepest reds that I can remember. Oranges are bright, yellows are bold and rusts and greens create a full palate. It’s simply beautiful.

The ‘almost’ qualifier is only necessary due to some localized muted color, as well as a generally atypical pattern in the emergence in the colors this year. Most notably, the lower elevations seem to be turning ahead of the hillsides, which, consulting with other keen, longtime observers, is among the only times that they’ve seen that. It’s likely a byproduct of the generally warm, dry autumn, as well as the extreme weather swings leading up to autumn.

Lower Elevations — Lower elevations are showing color before ridgelines this year.
*Credit: Kevin Talbot*

The generally warm weather pattern that we’ve experienced for most of autumn is NOT expected to hold for this weekend. A hard frost in Southern New England, a hard freeze in Northern New England, and some localized snowfall is likely before Monday. What will all of this mean for leaf peeping this weekend? It depends on where you are headed. In far northern New England, including the northern Green Mountains, western and northern Whites, the mountains of western Maine, as well as the crown, we expect the most likely chance for snow, and the most likely chance to push into past-peak conditions. Winds and snowfall will bring down some of the early colors, but it is important to note that past-peak still offers beautiful colors. Beeches and tamaracks, which turn later, can stay colorful for weeks after the maples peak, and the chance to see some snow on the foliage should be enough to entice leaf peepers to take the drive to these northernmost regions.

Foliage was peaking in Northern Vermont last weekend, including Smuggler's Notch, pictured here! — Foliage was peaking in northern Vermont last weekend, including Smuggler’s Notch, pictured here!
*Credit: Brian Drourr*

Central zones, generally an arc from the northwest corner of Connecticut, across the Berkshires through central Massachusetts, across southern Vermont, the lakes regions of New Hampshire and Maine, and then over to the Midcoast, peak color should be coming in, and holding strong. This should be a good weekend for Acadia National Park, one of the more popular spots to see the leaves in New England. Certainly, some of the early turning maples already in bright colors will be at risk to drop some of their leaves as the first front moves through, but generally, great conditions should remain. These areas also tend to have a lot more oak mixed in with the maples, so they often see a prolonged or double peak depending on how quickly the oaks come into color.

Colors are starting to come on strong in Central and Western Massachusetts. This scene in Ware, MA was taken 10-14-15. — Colors are starting to come on strong in central and western Massachusetts. This scene in Ware, MA, was photographed on 10-14-15.
*Credit: John Burk*

Southern zones, including eastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut, all should have varying degrees of moderate color this weekend, with a mix of good color, but also plenty of green yet to turn. We don’t expect most of this region to reach peak for at least another week, and the latest-turning areas, including Boston Common, the Cape and Nantucket, and the coastline of New Haven and Fairfield counties in Connecticut, won’t peak until late October or perhaps early November. For those looking to pinpoint peak conditions this weekend, we at YankeeFoliage.com offer a variety of tools to help you. Our Foliage Facebook Page Foliage App RealTime Foliage Maps Also, you can use the hashtags #NEFoliage or #Foliagereports on Twitter and Instagram. Keep the reports coming in, and we’ll see you out there! Enjoy the weekend, and this beautiful season in New England! And don’t forget to enter our New England Fall Photo Contest!

Jim Salge

As a former meteorologist at the Mount Washington Observatory, foliage reporter Jim Salge is a keen observer of the progression of the seasons in New England. He uses his knowledge of weather, geography, and climate to pinpoint the best time to visit various New England locations to find the best light, atmosphere, and, most importantly, color.

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Peak Foliage Spreading Across New England

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