Yankee Magazine’s 2025 Fall Foliage Forecast: ‘Spotlight Moments’ of Brilliant Color Await Those Who Seek Them Out

The wait is over: Yankee has unveiled its highly anticipated 2025 fall foliage forecast, offering an in-depth look at what leaf peepers can expect across New England and in other top U.S. foliage destinations. Created by longtime foliage expert Jim Salge, the trusted voice of the region’s leading autumn outlook, this year’s forecast is now live on NewEngland.com.

For New England, Salge predicts a leaf peeping season shaped in large part by a year of unusual weather, including one of the wettest springs in recent memory, when it rained (or snowed) for 12 consecutive Saturdays. While that moisture was critical in helping New England’s trees recover from last fall’s drought, its timing also fostered widespread fungal growth in the leaves—something that Salge says will create a patchwork of autumn color across different elevations and landscapes.

“New England’s fall colors are always beautiful. This season, leaf peepers can expect a vibrant show overall but will have to do some legwork to locate the peak locations,” Salge says. “Think of it as a treasure hunt: ‘Spotlight moments’ of brilliant and intense color will be more localized, offering the biggest rewards to those who seek them out.”

Key 2025 New England Forecast Highlights:

• Color Outlook: Despite some stress from fungi and last year’s drought, bold colors are expected regionwide, with particularly strong displays in resilient hardwood forests.
• Timing: The summer’s rising drought index may trigger slightly earlier color, especially in northern areas. Roadside and ledge-top trees across New England are already showing stress, with yellows and browns emerging.
• Forest Health: A big mast year for red oaks in 2024 and a failed mast year for red maples in 2025 has both species showing some stress, while beech trees are facing the rapid spread of beech leaf disease. Still, the forest mix overall should deliver plenty of classic reds, oranges, and golds.
• Weather Watch: A neutral Pacific climate pattern may bring stable fall weather, but Atlantic tropical systems and wildfire smoke remain wild cards. Both could influence visibility and vibrancy.
• Travel Advice: For the best leaf-peeping experience, Salge recommends exploring multiple elevations and different regions to catch peak conditions, as brilliance will vary by microclimate.

While challenges may shape certain locations this season, Salge notes that New England’s legendary fall foliage will not disappoint. “Fall colors are just about a month away from kicking off, and we certainly see positive signs for the coming season. There’s lots to look forward to!”

In addition to its New England fall foliage forecast, Yankee has also published a national outlook encompassing popular foliage destinations. Highlights include:

Mid-Atlantic and New York – Much like New England, this region saw above-average rainfall in spring followed by record summer heat and humidity, which increased stress in the forest. Sporadic colors, some bold and some muted, are going to be the norm across much of the East Coast this fall. Expect color to turn early and have a shorter duration.  

Southeast – Wet conditions in spring gave way to oppressive heat and humidity in summer, but with little drought. Fall colors should progress normally this year. After the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene last year, a good fall-tourism season for the southern Appalachians would really help the region.

Upper Midwest – Heat and humidity have been the norm here, too, but sporadic rain and even some flooding events have kept forests healthy and out of high-stress drought. A good year for fall foliage appears likely, but Canadian wildfire smoke may dampen viewing opportunities.

Mountain West – Drought has come back in a big way in 2025, and the Rocky Mountains are tinder-dry. This means the foliage season will likely be quite brief this year. The aspens always put on a good show, but be flexible in your travel planning so you don’t miss it.  

Pacific Northwest – Hot and dry weather will also make fall colors brief in the typically cool Northwest. Colors should pop red this year before falling quickly in the drought conditions. If warm weather persists as predicted, the colors may come on a bit later than normal, even given the predominantly dry forests.  

Yankee’s additional fall coverage on NewEngland.com includes an interactive peak foliage map, weekly updates, and curated itineraries to help travelers plan their trips. A September update will provide further insight into drought progression, fungal impacts, and tropical storm activity. Online visitors will also have the opportunity to attend a webinar with foliage expert Jim Salge, and—new this year—sign up for Yankee’s limited-edition foliage newsletter.

Available in late August, the new September-October issue of Yankee features a wealth of fall events and activities, including a drive down Vermont’s ultimate foliage road, Route 100; an autumn getaway in Brunswick, Maine; and Jim Salge’s picks for unexpected but spectacular leaf-peeping locations. The issue also celebrates Yankee’s 90^th anniversary with a collection of favorite recipes from the archives, a tribute to the magazine’s beloved “House for Sale” column, and excerpts from some of the classic Yankee stories that former editor Mel Allen compiled for his new book, Here in New England.

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