September 27, 2006

As September comes to a close, the foliage season is progressing nicely in much of northern New England. The 2006 season is approximately one week ahead of the 2005 foliage season. The most likely explanation is the weather. This September, temperatures in much of the Northeast have been seasonal, if not slightly below normal. Compare that with the warm September experienced in 2005. The leaves prefer the cooler temperatures as that helps promotes color change. This is a good example of how the weather can influence the timing of the foliage from year-to-year and why it is so hard to pinpoint when the best viewing will occur. In fact, the progression of the color change can vary by as much as a couple of weeks from one year to the next.

High color (61% - 80% change) can be found in much of northern Maine and in the higher elevation of New Hampshire's White Mountains. In central Maine, much of northern New Hampshire, the mountains of Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains in northeastern New York, moderate color (31% - 60% change) can be found. Elsewhere in the Northeast, foliage conditions range from little/no change to low color (11% - 30% change).

Leaf drop is mostly very low in the Northeast with the exception of those areas with moderate and high color. Leaf drop in those areas is low.

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

Next Report: Saturday, September 30, 2006