The fall foliage forecast for New England is looking bright this year. And that’s due to another gloomy summer notes Yankee magazine’s resident forecaster, Jim Salge. Salge serves as Yankee’s key fall foliage predictor for New England, seasoned with his time as a former meteorologist for Mount Washington Observatory, he now tracks the seasons across New England.
Luckily, Salge has high hopes for this year’s turning of the leaves! Last year’s foliage proved vibrant, although slightly muted due to fungus overgrowth experienced by many trees. This overgrowth spurred from the persistent humidity New England witnessed all summer.
For this season, the trees had time to relax and garner energy during the mild winter. Temps never fell below 0°F and due to this, the trees are healthy and ready to put on a show! And not just any show, Salge notes New England is ‘primed for a big show!’
Foliage predictions across New England
The key factor in witnessing the fall foliage in all its glory is being in the right place at the right time. “Foliage in the six states can look very different,”—based on both the weather and kind of trees growing in the region. Vermont and New Hampshire’s White Mountains offer more uniform foliage earlier in the season, with all the different maple, birch, and beech trees turning simultaneously and for an extended period.
“We expect peak color to develop on time in northern New England, compared with historical averages, with the onset of cooler weather. Colors should be bright, and trending toward a redder year if abundant sunshine allows. Colors should hang on longer than normal before fading and falling slowly,” notes Salge.
And for the first time in a while, he also notes he expects Eastern Massachusetts (hey, that’s Boston!) to have especially vibrant colors this year! Check out the fall foliage map below to track the fall foliage forecast in New England!