September 20, 2003

Hurricane Isabel and her remnants brought strong winds and rain to much of the Northeast. It appears however, that the winds did not have much of an impact on the leaves. Many foliage spotters have indicated that the canopies remain full of leaves. Most of the leaves that were downed were those from the trees showing early color. Therefore, Isabel's impact on this year's foliage season appears to be minimal. This is great news, and the optimism for a great foliage season resumes.

Foliage color is picking up in much of northern New England, northern New York, western Massachusetts and in some of the higher elevations of Pennsylvania. In these locations, color change is at 11 to 30 percent. In extreme northern Maine, and portions of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, moderate color (31 to 60 percent) change has been reported. The balance of the Northeast still has very low color.

If you have not yet made reservations for your leaf-peeping trip(s), now is the time! Check out our Places to Stay and Foliage Spotters sections to find great accommodations!

This information provided by Marek D. Rzonca, The Foliage Network. The next report will be released on Wednesday, September 24, 2003.

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