Pumpkin Spice Lattes, flannel and fall leaves: Fall finally arrived this week, and we couldn’t be more excited to unpack our endless number of cardigans, slip into our Dr. Martens and start planning our next fall foliage road trip. And if this also sounds like your idea of the perfect fall excursion, you’ll want to begin building that itinerary asap because AccuWeather’s U.S. fall foliage forecast is here, and for many states, it won’t last long.
Broken down by region, AccuWeather predicts the best times for peak autumn colors. For those in the northeast, expect a shorter fall foliage period than normal; New England peaks around early to mid-October.
“Similar to last year, it may be a slow start to color in the Northeast given the warmer-than-normal weather forecast for most of the end of September,” says AccuWeather Meteorologist Max Vido.
States in the Southeast, however, including Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi, among others, peak in early November. Further west, certain parts of the Rockies are expected to peak on time, in late September to mid-October.
“It was a pretty dry monsoon season, especially across the region where they grow in Colorado and Utah. This could mean colors are duller than usual this season,” Vido said.
The Midwest, too, will turn on time, but there’s a higher chance for early leaf drop caused by windy weather.
The northwest region, on the other hand, will likely see fall foliage peak in late October to early November, a little later than normal due to warmer weather.
Image: AccuWeather.
For those in states with a shorter fall foliage period, don’t worry, though; according to Vido, vibrancy should surpass last year, “as this summer was not as wet and we expect a drier fall,” he adds.
Embrace the warmer fall temps while you can, folks, because if you remember Farmer’s Almanac winter predictions, it’ll be a frigid one.
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