Fall Foliage in August? Is it Early or normal?
Written originally on 28 July 2021, re-written
No doubt you may have heard someone talking about early fall color or you’ve seen someone posting a picture of some fall-colored leaves in July or August.
It’s the end of July and I’m surprised I haven’t heard more about this already. Usually, my email starts filling up with questions from worried leaf peepers, asking if they should move up their reservations. Let me try to answer this…
There’s early fall color and then there’s “Early”, Fall Color…
Doesn’t that make it much more clear?
I’m not pulling your leg, there is a very real difference between the two subjects in the heading. First, EARLY fall color arrives in July or August like this:
Now you are going to say… That’s not fall color, that’s only a hint of fall color… These are all Sugar Maples and people will start panicking and posting that fall is coming early!!!
This amount of fall color should not worry you, nope… It should comfort you that the year is progressing normally. This is normal and IF I didn’t see this, then I’d be worried. Let me also say that every other tree in this area was a completely “normal” summer green. No other fall colors were to be seen, so this “early fall color” is just a sample of what’s to come.
Definition of “Early Fall Color,” or normal fall color signs that arrive in July & August
These are the “normal” occurrences that we see in July, August, and even Sept. These are usually indicators NOT that the autumn colors are arriving early, but that the leaves, branches, and full trees are under some form of stress. This stress can be from drought, age, insects, flooded roots, or something we are not aware of (yes climate change could be it as well).
So, I want you to tune out the folks looking to get you to click their images, or those articles we call “clickbait,” as they load up the ads and show you a picture of a red or yellow leaf (is it even from this year?) and they hope you will click on some of their ads.
Please notice I have none of that on this site. I’m posting from the heart and try to give you the best info possible. ((((Shameless Plug)))You will see links to my artwork throughout the website and if you want to support me and this blog, feel free to visit my online gallery. My gallery creates high-quality products and framed prints on different substrates (metal, acrylic, wood). If you don’t need these things please consider becoming a patron and send along a donation. (click here), but I WILL NOT force you to look at ads all over.
So, that is the normal early fall color that we see every single year, I’ll say that again WE SEE THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR… Now, let’s talk about the OTHER type of early fall color…
The other type of “Early Fall Color” or signs that fall IS coming!
This type of “early fall color” is a real thing and only happens in mid to late September. These are “SIGNS” that the fall colors have really started. Instead of stressed trees worrying us about the fall colors in July or August, this is the “REAL” beginning of turning fall colors.
*note* This article on “Finding Peak Fall Foliage” may help with defining what the different stages are.
Generally, if we get a cold spell in September that lasts a while, the fall colors will start turning. But if the cold spell is followed by a warm spell, then Mother Nature taps on the brakes of the turning fall color. In “past” years, I remember a big hot spell from July through August, and then it seems like we broke the heat around the last week of August with high temps down into the 70s which carried us into September.
About the 2nd to 3rd week of September, the temps would “ consistently ” continue to drop into the 70s/60s (as highs) with lows staying in the upper 30s to low 40s.
**note** I use the word consistently, because, if the fall temps stay consistently in the lower range then there is no slowdown in the turning colors. This would mean by the 24th of Sept, we would see some really nice colors up in places like Dixville Notch NH, and up around Greenville Maine, and if we were lucky into the Northeast Kingdom.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve seen that the temps are rarely consistent. I know from my notes that in 2012, we had cold temps in September, basically across much of New England. We had the fall colors showing up from Vermont all the way down to Connecticut… This made for very confused photographers (like myself) who didn’t know where to go. The problem with this “early fall color” is that it doesn’t last and “usually” slows down (or stops). If we get warming temps, Mother Nature taps the brakes and everybody is looking around and wondering where all the fall colors are going to show up next. Everybody is posting that It was only a week ago that people were talking about all the beautiful fall colors.
It’s not that they lied, but if a cold spell hits a bump and turns to a warm spell, or worse yet a heatwave (think 2017), then Mother Nature doesn’t just tap the brakes, she locks them up hard and slides into a telephone pole… You get the picture, the fall colors stop turning and we have to wait for the temps to drop back to seasonal cooler temps before the colors start turning again.
NORMAL “Early Fall Color” will usually look like this picture. This is on 28 September 2018 but maybe I should say that this is fall color… that is still in the “early stages of turning… Is that more clear? Now, from the 1st – 20th of September 2018, the temps were in the upper 60s to 80s. After the 21st the daytime temps were in the 50s and 60s but the low temps did not drop into the 30s! NOT EVEN ONCE…
Now 2018 was more or less a “normal” year and on 14 Sept and 21 Sept 2018 were very green in Northern New England. The image above was from 28 Sept and there was no appreciable increase in the fall colors. I came back through here on 7 October and the clouds were very low (I mean how low can they go?)
As you can see the fall colors are NOT EARLY by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe they are right on time but the fall colors are NOT early. The warm Sept into Oct did not cooperate and give us early arriving fall colors. But, in the following example, six years prior to the shot above, you will see more of what we WANT to see…
In the two images below you see the Beaver Pond in New Hampshire under what I would term “normal” color arrival. These were taken in 2012 on the 12th of Sept and only 20 days later on 2 October 2012, the Beaver Pond looked like this.
Sometimes the conditions are right for fall colors to show early in one year and not the next… I’m always a broken record on this subject, EVERY YEAR IS DIFFERENT!… Below are images where the fall colors began showing up between 22-33 September in different locations in New England. they are all shots from Vermont’s Hazen’s Notch on 22 to 23 Sept. (but in different years)
What is Normal “early color” is different every year!
Most hear Early Fall Color and start to panic. They want to see where and how much. But I believe it’s my job to call out these “Clickbait” wasters of our time. Once in a while, they are true, but they are usually wrong! (Hello 2020) but in general, they are not worth your time or mental energy.
*note* here is an article on taking the mystery out of finding peak fall colors While this article is about “Early Fall Color,“ here is an article about the quality of past peak color to balance things out.
Jeff Foliage Folger
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I’m 64 and been wanting to see the fall foliage in New England State all my life. I’m arriving in Portland Maine on October 2 to begin our trip. Hope the colors are happening. I will keep reading your reports.
TKS Bill
Well, Bill welcome to New England. It will be interesting to see how you enjoy it.
The drought in Maine raises question marks for me and there may be early bright color but very quick to fall as well.
If this happens I hope you have plans to come to NH and maybe VT…
I’d love to hear your plans versus what you actually do…
I’m 64 and been wanting to see the fall foliage in New England State all my life. I’m arriving in Portland Maine on October 2 to begin our trip. Hope the colors are happening. I will keep reading your reports.
TKS Bill
Well, Bill welcome to New England. It will be interesting to see how you enjoy it.
The drought in Maine raises question marks for me and there may be early bright color but very quick to fall as well.
If this happens I hope you have plans to come to NH and maybe VT…
I’d love to hear your plans versus what you actually do…
Hey Jeff, we are planning a trip to New England on sept 19-22 this year. Do you think there are places where we can experience some of the fall folliage?
Thank you!
Well you will be early but you will see color. Heck, I could show you fall color here in Mass or NH today. But it’s stressed “early” fall colors and not the hillsides overed in fall color that we want to see… when you arrive you will want to be in the White Mountains or along the Kancamagus. Higher elevation will be your friend on these dates.
Hey Jeff, we are planning a trip to New England on sept 19-22 this year. Do you think there are places where we can experience some of the fall folliage?
Thank you!
Well you will be early but you will see color. Heck, I could show you fall color here in Mass or NH today. But it’s stressed “early” fall colors and not the hillsides overed in fall color that we want to see… when you arrive you will want to be in the White Mountains or along the Kancamagus. Higher elevation will be your friend on these dates.
Hi Jeff, we are planning a trip to Boston early October and trying to figure out the best location to see fall colors the weekend of Oct 8-11. Cannot decide between Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Any recommendations? Is Manchester Vermont a good option?
That is a very busy weekend I love Manchester but it’s a bit south and you will want to explore east of there, especially if you want to visit New Hampshire. I might suggest between Killington and Woodstock Vermont because its an easy drive to Stowe, the Northeast Kingdom, or over into the White Mountains. Hit this link to research NH and VT https://jeff-foliage.com/fall-foliage-articles/locations-state/
I would try Maine unless you have a lot longer. 3-4 days and exploring Eastern Vermont to western NH will have very worn out…
Thank you Jeff. I just booked a place in Woodstock, VT. I am going through your blog – you have excellent information. Thank you so much!
No problem, that is what I do… Which place in Woodstock did you book? and did you get a feel for how close to full they were?
I booked a airbnb in Hartford actually. It is a 3 bedroom home. Still waiting for a confirmation – hopefully it will work out.
That is a nice area and centrally located. Good choice. What dates are you there for?
Hi Jeff, we are planning a trip to Boston early October and trying to figure out the best location to see fall colors the weekend of Oct 8-11. Cannot decide between Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Any recommendations? Is Manchester Vermont a good option?
That is a very busy weekend I love Manchester but it’s a bit south and you will want to explore east of there, especially if you want to visit New Hampshire. I might suggest between Killington and Woodstock Vermont because its an easy drive to Stowe, the Northeast Kingdom, or over into the White Mountains. Hit this link to research NH and VT https://jeff-foliage.com/fall-foliage-articles/locations-state/
I would try Maine unless you have a lot longer. 3-4 days and exploring Eastern Vermont to western NH will have very worn out…
Thank you Jeff. I just booked a place in Woodstock, VT. I am going through your blog – you have excellent information. Thank you so much!
No problem, that is what I do… Which place in Woodstock did you book? and did you get a feel for how close to full they were?
I booked a airbnb in Hartford actually. It is a 3 bedroom home. Still waiting for a confirmation – hopefully it will work out.
That is a nice area and centrally located. Good choice. What dates are you there for?
Oct 8 – Oct 11. Our thought is to stay there and explore the places nearby. Hopefully do a couple of hikes. Any recommendations for good spots to hike?
Go over to the Rockefeller-marsh farm is in Woodstock and you can “hike”/ walk up to Pogue pond…
There is an AT trailhead near Woodstock for more than that Google railtrails near your area
Oct 8 – Oct 11. Our thought is to stay there and explore the places nearby. Hopefully do a couple of hikes. Any recommendations for good spots to hike?
Go over to the Rockefeller-marsh farm is in Woodstock and you can “hike”/ walk up to Pogue pond…
There is an AT trailhead near Woodstock for more than that Google railtrails near your area
I am trying to plan a cruise from New York to Montreal. The dates are all over the place from Sept 14 to October 8 Would we see much around September 16-17 th I know October would be better but then you have the rain. We do not mind the cold but we are in our 80 s
The coastal areas turn last so going later is better. The problem is Montreal will be gone when further south is just starting. October can be rainy and we never want to see that, but I can’t guarantee anything in that area. I would do late Sept 25-30 or if you can 1 October… If you get to get off the boat and go inland 1 October will allow (Maybe) for color away from the shoreline