November 2, 2005

The wet, cloudy weather finally gave way to some sunny days in much of the Northeast at the end of October into early November. The nicer weather allowed leaf peepers to take in and enjoy some of the fall colors, or at least what's left of them. This season has been the most difficult to call in terms of the amount of fall colors due to the lack of coordination with the trees. Many of our spotters have observed trees that are completely bare only to find many trees that are still mostly green. This is yet another piece to the odd foliage puzzle for 2005. Many areas will not have a true peak this year because of this.

The season is quickly coming to any end for many of the higher elevations in the Northeast where conditions are now passed peak. Peak conditions (or as close to peak as possible this year) can be found in coastal Maine, southeast New Hampshire, much of central and western Massachusetts, state-wide in Connecticut and Rhode Island, western New York and the Mohawk and Hudson Valleys of New York, northern Pennsylvania and northwest New Jersey. Elsewhere, high color (61% - 80% change) prevails with the exception of the Greater Boston and North Shore sections of Massachusetts, eastern Long Island in New York, New York City and the southern half of New Jersey.

Leaf drop is high to nearly complete in areas where color is at or past peak. Elsewhere in the region, leaf drop is moderate to high.

Looking for a place to stay? Please visit our Places to Stay and Foliage Spotters sections to find great accommodations!

This information provided by Marek D. Rzonca, The Foliage Network.

Next report: Saturday, November 5, 2005