As we enter the final third of October, beautiful fall color is becoming more and more common across the Lower 48 states as it expands from north to south and from mountains to valleys.
So far this year, the quality of color has depended heavily on location. Across the Mountain West, leaf-peepers described some of the most vibrant colors in years. But many say the color is underwhelming in New England.
Even where the foliage is less than perfect, memorable highlights can still be found. It’s often just a matter of knowing where to look.
You won’t have to look too hard this weekend in much of the non-mountainous Northeast, the Midwest and Plains, where colors are approaching their peak in many spots, according to Explore Fall, a website for tracking fall foliage. Even the South is starting to join the show.
Where colors are peaking
Fall color is near its prime at low elevations over large parts of eastern Maine, New York and northern Pennsylvania. Intense color also stretches down the Appalachian Mountains to north Georgia. At some of the high spots in western North Carolina and the Smoky Mountains, snow even coated some of the vibrant foliage earlier this week, making for magical “snowliage” scenes.
Colors are starting to emerge in lower elevations of the Mid-Atlantic according to the Foliage Report, another color-tracking website. It called for the D.C. area to transition to moderate color this weekend.
The northern half of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes have seen colors move beyond peak, but southern and eastern portions of the region are nearing their prime. The zone from Iowa to central Michigan should feature excellent color over the coming days.
Advertisement
Colors approaching peak extend over much of the central and northern Plains, then westward to the foothills of the Rockies.
Share this articleShareWhile much of the Mountain West has moved beyond peak, numerous pockets of vibrant color can be found in valleys across the region. Some cities that should see excellent leaf-peeping conditions through the weekend include Pocatello, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Reno, Nev., and Prescott, Ariz.
On the West Coast, the stretch of Interstate 5 from Medford, Ore., to around Seattle is likely to boast stunning views.
Where peak is right around the corner
By late next week, the foliage season across interior New England will be drawing to a close as peak color rolls toward eastern and coastal New England, including Hartford, Conn., Providence, R.I., and Boston. To the south, peak colors should seep into northern New Jersey and the lower elevations of Pennsylvania.
Into the Mid-Atlantic, lower elevations of the Appalachians should head into peak while moderate to high color overtakes the Interstate 95 corridor, from Richmond, to Washington to New York City.
Colors will also near peak from the southern Great Lakes to the central Plains. The corridor from Denver to Colorado Springs should feature nice color, as should Santa Fe, N.M., and the hills around Albuquerque.
Advertisement
Lower elevations in the Intermountain West such as the Treasure Valley in and around Boise, Id., are also about a week away from peak color.
Regional spotlight: Southern New England
By many accounts, this hasn’t been the best fall foliage year in much of New England. Cool, crisp nights that help bring out color have been limited, and rains, which tend to mute foliage, have been frequent.
But given the abundance of maples and other colorful tree species in the region, beautiful scenes are still numerous set against its diverse geography.
Idyllic settings are numerous whether taking a stroll along a meandering Connecticut river, hiking the Berkshires or seeing the trees amid the region’s bountiful lakes, old churches, farms and overlooks.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMSmrdOhnKtnYmV%2FdHuQaWZraV%2Bbrq24jJ%2BmpaGRnLJur86lpqtlnqS%2FtbTEmqqtZZensqLAjKWYpJ2jZA%3D%3D