Foliage Update: Colors Spread Across Northern Tier

The passage of Hurricane Helene did some damage to fall colors across the western Carolinas, but foliage season continues on across the northern tier.

The start of the Autumn Equinox was Sunday, September 22. This means that the Sun is directly above the Equator and day and nights are of equal length. As such, daytime hours will become shorter and also cooler the remainder of the season. This will limit the trees’ ability to make chlorophyll, which is a pigment that helps keep leaves green, and will lead to the leaves turning an assortment of colors like red, orange, yellow and purple.

Certain trees have a different makeup that causes them to turn into warmer colors across a longer stretch of time compared to other species of trees. Maple trees for example typically exhibit these warm tones more quickly compared to oak trees. Dry weather can also significantly affect the appearance of leaves. On one hand, these fall colors can last longer, but the drawback is that these colors will be less vibrant. Stay in touch with drought conditions in preparation for any autumnal sightseeing excursions!

Moderate colors can be found across the northern part of Minnesota into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Look for some bright colors if you plan to visit anywhere from Fargo, N.D., to Duluth, Minn. If you can’t make it that far north this week, look for a smattering of color from the Twin Cities to Madison, Wis. City dwellers from Detroit to Chicago are probably a week early to see much in the way of foliage so far.
 
The best colors in the East are found in the mountains of Vermont, New Hampshire and western Maine. Here, we are about 40 to 60 percent of the way to peak colors, with northern New England’s famed maples leading the way. Colors will change quickly in the next week, as the summer drought will cause leaves to change and drop faster than usual. A few colors can be seen across the interior of New England and stretching into the Appalachians. Strong winds from Helene probably brought the season to an unfortunate end across North Carolina and West Virginia, but colors are improving in Pennsylvania and New York.

Over the course of autumn, WeatherBug Meteorologists will provide an outlook on the foliage conditions across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. This will include an updated map of conditions and details of these great colors. WeatherBug will also give some suggestions of roads to take for a leaf-peeping road trip, and a forecast for the weekend so you can know what to expect as you visit the colors.