Fall foliage report: Best colors in Mountain West and New England
The nation’s best fall foliage — until recently — focused on the high terrain and northernmost latitudes. But colors are starting to creep lower in elevation and farther southward with October’s shortening days and increasing chill.
The still-young foliage season has been dominated by warmer than normal temperatures east of the continental divide, delaying color change some, particularly in the Northeast. But cooler conditions in the West have set the stage for a fantastic show. In some mountain areas, snow has mingled with vibrant colors creating magical “snowliage” scenes.
In days ahead, cooler air will spill into the East Coast, helping to move the colors along, while warmer conditions arriving in the West may help extend the leaf-peeping season.
Where colors are peaking
Peak color is still mostly spread across the nation’s northern tier but at least some color has expanded toward the midsection, according to the foliage tracking website Explore Fall. The zone from the Pacific Northwest to New England, including northern parts of the Upper Midwest, is awash in fiery hues.
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Many of the high mountains in the West and even some peaks along the Appalachian chain have already seen their best color but lower and middle elevations in these respective regions are nearing peak now.
It’s been a banner year for foliage in parts of the western United States. The colors have really popped in the high elevations of California, Utah and Colorado.
🍂❄️Snowliage: Snow + fall foliage. A collision of autumn & winter. A wonderful blend of colorful, fall foliage with a fresh, white snowfall. Utah's pretty good at this, don't you think?
📷: Jason Robison pic.twitter.com/g8ZWiPWzw2
— Utah Department of Natural Resources (@UtahDNR) October 2, 2023East of the Rockies, near peak color has taken over much of Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Michigan. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is moving beyond peak as northern parts of lower Michigan approach it.
In the East, the Adirondacks of New York and multiple mountain chains in New England are in the early throes of prime color although a rainy forecast means this weekend isn’t ideal time to see it. But the foliage will continue to increase in the Green and White mountains in days to come, and also southward into the Berkshires.
Near peak or peak foliage is also ongoing in the high country of West Virginia above 2,000 feet, although some of the highest spots above 4,000 feet are now past peak, according to local reports. Spottier but increasing color has also traveled southward along the spine of the Appalachians.
Where peak color is right around the corner
Heading into mid-October, the Colorado Plateau and Black Range of New Mexico will also be heading toward peak, as will Flagstaff and its surroundings in Arizona. Some of the coastal mountains ranges of California also typically move toward peak during this period.
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The foliage peak is inbound for the High Plains from Colorado northward, as well as the remainder of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest.
Share this articleShareExcellent leaf peeping will persist and may reach its maximum coverage in the mountains of New England, with a kaleidoscope of color spilling into lower elevations as well.
The Catskills of southern New York are set to join high spots to the north with wall-to-wall colorful conditions, as are the Berkshires. Maples will be blazing across southern New England.
Spotty near peak and peak conditions are also set to expand across the high elevations of the Appalachians from Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia northward. A popular spot in coming weeks will be the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Regional spotlight: "Snowliage” in the Mountain West
As the word implies, “snowliage” is a mingling of snow and foliage and the combination made for dreamlike scenes in Utah and Colorado this week. Some snowliage snuck into the eastern Sierras in California as well.
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The golden aspens in the region made for a striking contrast against the frosty backdrop:
The season was a stunner even before the snowy highlights.
“If you want to see the best colors in the United States, head west my friends!,” wrote the Foliage Report, which documents fall color across the nation, in its weekly update Monday.
People in Utah have described it as one of the best seasons in recent memory.
“ALL TIME PEAK CONDITIONS,” tweeted Matthew Johnson, a meteorologist for Salt Lake City television affiliate KSL, while sharing a magnificent video:
ALL TIME PEAK CONDITIONS: Absolutely insane how bright the colors are right now along the Wasatch Back. Literally almost hard at times for the eye to process the vibrant colors! Sensory overload as my dad would say! 🤯 🍁 #utwx
📍: Provo Canyon, UT
📸: Scott Johnson pic.twitter.com/tDjVjPb8L5
While drought conditions have spread over the southern United States, the Mountain West has mostly seen above average precipitation over the past year and somewhat below average temperatures. The combination has likely spurred this fall’s unforgettable display.
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