New England is having a standout fall foliage season, a tracker says, thanks to favorable weather

Strong color in New England

Cotner, who owns The Foliage Report, said New England’s colors are the best he has seen there in nearly 20 years. He described this season as potentially “elite,” comparing it favorably with 2020, which he also called very good.

He attributed the outlook to adequate rainfall through spring and summer, followed by warm days and cool nights as fall approached. Photographer Kirk Giglio was also encouraged by early September, and described vivid scenery in New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch.

Weather shapes regional results

Conditions have been less favorable in parts of the West. Cotner said extreme drought stressed trees in Colorado, resulting in a brief, lackluster foliage season, while aspens in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have been less golden than usual.

Utah stood out as a brighter area because it received enough rainfall, Cotner said. He noted that average precipitation helps produce colorful leaves.

How leaves change color

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension explains that foliage changes as trees prepare for winter. During warmer months, chlorophyll absorbs sunlight, which helps trees turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose.

As days shorten, trees stop producing food, revealing orange and yellow pigments already present in leaves. Sunny days followed by cold nights can trap sugars in leaves and produce red pigments.

A season for leaf peeping

Cotner’s research indicates that foliage season begins in Alaska in mid-August and concludes in Florida in late December. The timing varies across the country. Giglio, a nurse in a Connecticut hospital’s cardiac and stroke unit, uses leaf peeping as an escape from work. He also photographs storms and said sunrise hikes, fog and vibrant colors made for memorable views, even though some locations were crowded.