Fall foliage in New England can run from "pretty" to absolutely breathtaking depending on the time, place and quality of the foliage season. Indeed the colors can inspire a poet, motivate a painter, create a new photographer, and change the appearance of almost any New England town or landscape. Just about anyone who appreciates nature, will love New Englands autumn colors.

The cycle all starts in late summer. The days get shorter, and the trees are able to sense the loss of light. This triggers a process in the trees, where Chlorophyl, which gives leaves their green color, is no longer being produced, eventually leaving a more colorful yellow, orange, red, brown, or even sometimes purple colored leaf! Rainfall, and temperature also play a role. The best foliage seasons seem to be preceded by a rainy summer or early fall, followed by warm sunny days, and clear, cold nights in October. Cold temperatures can hasten the process, but only by up to a week. Warm temperatures will delay the latest part of the foliage season only, with a few trees holding on up to 2 weeks longer than normal.

If you would like to get a great view at the colorful display of reds, yellow, orange, and golds you have get to the right place, at the right time! Below are the most likely dates to find color approaching full height (peak) across various sections of New England. Please note that the dates can vary up to a week earlier or later than posted due to weather conditions:

Beginning in mid September, the trees across New England's interior will start to drop hints of fall color. Northern Maine from FORT KENT to MOOSEHEAD LAKE and BAXTER STATE PARK will show heavy color by month's end, as will THE CONNETICUT LAKES region of New Hampshire and the HIGH PEAKS OF THE WHITE MTNS. The NORTHEAST KINGDOM of Vermont, near St. Johnsbury will also approach maximum by the end of September.

The light show moves southward during the first week in October, culminating with a broad spectrum of color over a wide area in THE GREEN AND WHITE MTNS of Vermont and New Hampshire including most of the Ski Areas, and into the Interior of Maine. THE BERKSHIRES in Massachusetts also show maximum color at this time.

The second week in October including the Columbus day weekend usually shows the best colors over the widest possible area in New England. Lower elevations of THE GREEN MTNS., of Vermont, the WHITE MTNS. of New Hampshire, the BERKSHIRES of Massachusetts are still near peak color. Meanwhile.. over a wide area from the Maine coast including BAR HARBOR through southern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and down into the CONNETICUT RIVER VALLEY of Massachusetts, and into the hilly terrain of North Central Mass. colors are at this time just approaching maximum. In Conneticut, and Rhode Island's interior colors are also becoming very well established.

The third week in October is best for Southern New England. While the mountains to the north and west are now past "peak", southern New England's interior usually rushes to full color in this week. Often southern New England will have not one but two outbursts of color, depending on the timing of the frosts. One outburst, with lots of green left on the trees occurs during the second week in October approximately the 10th, and another just over a week later towards the 20th when half the Maples are already bare. The best is usually on that second "peak" around the 16th-22nd, and it includes all of Interior Southern New England through Connecticut, Mass. and Rhode Island. This includes the historic towns of CONCORD, Mass. down to the HARTFORD, Ct. area, PROVIDENCE, RI suburbs, and even interior FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Ct.

The fourth week in October shows best color along coastal New England while Northern New England turns brown. Residual color remains in Southern New England's interior, but is usually in the dimming stage. However, CAPE COD and CAPE ANN in Massachusetts along with the NEWPORT R.I. area, down the coastline to the NEW HAVEN area of Connecticut are all at their peak colors.

The first trees to turn colorful in the fall are usually "swamp" Maples, that is, Red Maple trees that reside in area bogs. Colorful Sugar Maples follow, and then finally the Oaks, and Birch. Maple trees often turn an orange-red after first fading to yellow. Birch trees turn yellow only. Oaks often turn brown, but sometimes a deep red.

 
TODD GROSS