New England Fall Foliage Hits Its Peak Sooner Than You Think

Just about a week into September and already trees across New England are starting to change color.

Colorful leaves are a favorite New England fall feature that bring people to the area each Autumn for oohing and aahing on long backroad drives.

But this season, those tourists better have planned their trips earlier than usual.

All the fall foliage predictors seem to be calling for even earlier color changes for 2024, with many parts of New England reaching peak fall foliage as quickly as late September.

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The vibrant bursts of red, orange and yellow won't last as long this season either, with many areas only boasting their best hues for a matter of days.

So why are trees changing color so early this year?

As Milli Vanilli would say, "Blame It On The Rain."

July was a very humid, wet month across all of New England and that over the top moisture has led to early leaf changes for the trees.

As the Bartlett Tree Experts tell us, both too much and too little rain can lead to 'moisture stress.' Moisture stress leads to trees breaking down chlorophyll faster than they can make it, leading to the color change in the trees' leaves.

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Many New England trees were likely overwatered over the hot, humid summer and so leaf peepers will see those beloved color changes very early this season.

When is peak foliage for Southern New England in 2024?

For the SouthCoast, all of Rhode Island and other surrounding areas, peak fall colors will be from October 7 through October 14.

New Hampshire and Vermont will have similar peaks from October 7 though October 11, but Maine is be incredibly early this year with peak color from late September into early October.