The Midwest could offer fall’s most electric foliage but leaf peepers elsewhere won’t miss out

PORTLAND, Maine — Fall is back and brings pumpkins, football, pumpkin spice everything and — in some parts of the country — exceptionally colorful foliage.

Leaves across the northern U.S. are beginning to turn orange, yellow and red, inspiring legions of leaf-peepers to pile into their cars and head to the countryside for the best view of fall’s fireworks. Leaf peeping — the act of traveling to witness nature’s annual kaleidoscope — contributes billions of dollars to the economyespecially in New England and New York.

But this year, some of the most colorful displays could be in the Midwest. AccuWeather, the commercial forecasting service, said in early September that it expects especially vibrant foliage in states like Michigan and Illinois.

The service also said that bold, popping colors are expected in upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania, while New England will follow a more typical color pattern. But that doesn’t mean travelers in New England will be left out.

Maine, the nation’s most forested state, had “an abundance of daily sunshine with just the right amount of rainfall to set the stage for a breathtaking foliage season,” said Gale Ross, the state’s spokesman for fall foliage. Color change and timing depend on the fall weather, but cooler nighttime temperatures and shorter days should enhance the colors, Ross said.

“The 2024 growing season has been excellent for trees, supporting tree health and resilience, which should lead to brilliant fall colors across Maine,” said Aaron Bergdahl, the state forest pathologist.

Fall colors are at their best at different times across the U.S., with the foliage season sometimes beginning not long after Labor Day in the northern reaches of the country and extending into November further south. In Maine alone, the foliage season can be at its peak in late September in the northern part of the state and not until Halloween in the coastal areas.

Turning the leaf happens when summer turns into fall and temperatures drop and sunlight decreases. Chlorophyll in leaves breaks down, which allows their autumn colours to shine through before the leaves fall.

However, weather conditions associated with climate change have disrupted some of these developments. recent leaf viewing seasonsA warming planet has caused droughts that cause leaves to turn brown and wither before they reach their full potential.

Other enemies of leaf peeping include heat waves that cause leaves to drop before fall arrives, and extreme weather events like hurricanes that strip trees of their leaves. A summer heat wave in the Pacific Northwest in 2021 caused a condition called leaf scorch, which caused leaves to brown prematurely.

This year, Maine still had little leaf color in most of the state as late September approached, but the state tourism office was already bracing for an influx of tourists. Northern Maine was already experiencing a moderate color change. And neighboring New Hampshire was expecting about 3.7 million visitors — more than twice the state’s population.

“It’s no surprise that people come from all over the world to see the beautiful colors,” said Lori Harnois, president of NH Travel and Tourism.