As The Foliage Turns, The Final Chapter For 2025

Hello Friends…

To say 2025 has been a confusing year would be an understatement! We started with a light drought (January) due to low snow pack and then had a wet spring, which took away all thoughts of drought. By July 1st, we were almost drought-free. But from that point on, rain came infrequently (at best), and by early August, drought started to creep into our conversations again.

Last year, in 2024, Drought was an issue, but as of October 1st, 2024, the majority of our drought was just “abnormally dry” versus this year (2025) where we were in “Extreme Drought”.

The scale and severity in northern New England (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine) are described as “the largest expanse of extreme drought (D3) observed … since the start of the Drought Monitor records in 2000.” [https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/} (Maps courtesy of NDMC)

What we saw going into this level of drought

This is just my observations, nothing more… Let’s start with:

July arrives with “normal” early spots of color

Normal early-fall color was observed in July as the land was drying out; no real concerns yet.

August Rushed In…

By the first week in August, we were talking about drought coming back, but mostly it was up north, MA, CT, and RI were still doing pretty good. Since we were still only seeing abnormally dry conditions, we were “cautiously” optimistic. If we only went so far as “abnormally dry” (yellow), then we should see brighter colors due to a concentration of sugars in the leaves. I also started weekly reports in August on my YouTube channel.

September finally got here, but would the leaves just brown and drop…

By 7 Sept, I was forced to take a drive on the Kancamagus Highway. I was still mostly seeing roadside color, but little to “NO” color on the hills above the roads. The drought was moving from moderate to severe drought from the White Mountains of NH in a wide band across to Maine’s seacoast. By 9 Sept, the first spot of the evil red extremist drought made an appearance on the map.

Normally, it’s not till 19 September that I would make my FIRST run on the Kancamagus or up to Dixville Notch, I was still seeing ONLY roadside color, which most everybody was worried about. The two comparison shots below show Dixville Notch on 19 September 2024 and 2025. This is why we say “Every Year is different!” Even though the roadside color was being talked about as heralding early color, it was late in other areas.

Even though in some areas, the fall colors were not progressing evenly. By the end of September, people were suffering from the leaf peepers disease “FOMO* (Fear Of Missing Out), and I heard several people tell me they were changing their reservations, so as not to miss the fall colors. There is a reason I tell you to NEVER change your reservations…

If your vacation dates are based on “normal” foliage dates, it’s in your best interest not to change them. IF… IF I tell you your dates are WAY OFF, then you might be justified in changing them. If you are considering changing reservations because your hairdresser said you should… Well, maybe you should get a second opinion.

But I digress…

On the 28th of September, I started to see fall colors show on various hillsides (about a week early in some cases), and I did a video recap for the 22nd-28th of September.

The Groton fall festival (5 October) was cute, but it was way too warm to be comfortable (upper 70s). So far, my best color in Vermont was back on 29 September in Smuggler’s Notch. This would change, though… Smuggler’s Notch was NOT peak at the end of September.

October Finally Arrives

To see what happened week to week, you can check my reports on YouTube. But the month started slowly, and the 2nd and 4th led me to try my luck in Vermont. I was not overly successful and as I ALWAYS tell you, “Move your feet”, and have your plan “B”s ready.

October 2nd and 4th in Vermont

I have to admit, so far, I was swinging and missing in Vermont, and over these 2 days, we hit Route 10, as far south as Okemo, up Route 100, and as far north as Groton State Park and Groton’s Fall Festival. We covered around 280 miles (so I guess I moved my feet). My “Plan Bs”, as always, are to look for covered Bridges, and Lisa found 3 I had not photographed yet.

Back into New Hampshire on 6 Oct

Suffering defeat in Vermont, we ventured back into New Hampshire two days later because I looked at my webcam page that morning and saw the Marshfield station (Cog Rail), and it looked really pretty! So we headed over Route 118, and I stopped to launch my drone from the scenic overlook, and at this point, I KNEW today would be a good one.

You can watch my report for that week here on my YouTube Channel. But once we left Route 118, we hit Base Station Road and Marshfield Station, Up Jefferson Notch Road as a shortcut to Route 2 going through Gorham and going into Maine, and taking Route 113 south. We made our way down Route 16 to Lake Chocorua (not ready yet) and a quick stop at the Moulton Farm near Meredith.

If you watched my video report on YouTube for this week (8 Oct), you would have seen that as I got off the road onto a trail, most of the fall color disappeared quickly. I did find a single red maple, but otherwise it was sparse. The first image in the carousel above is back on the Base Station Road, and I was able to frame Mount Washington in between branches of red and orange.

7 Oct – Sandwich, NH

I thought that maybe we could get ahead of the color and head the next day to Sandwich, New Hampshire. What we found was that the color had come and gone from Sandwich, ahead of further north in the White Mtns. This is the problem with severe or extreme drought: it throws off the schedule as trees go into conservation mode on their own timetable.

As you can see, Sandwich was a mixed bag of results. The middle image would indicate I was successful, but the trees in front of this one were nearly bare. So my technique is to focus on eliminating the “big picture”. Even the last image shows that most of the leaves were on the ground. But to me, that makes this image a classic autumn image.

My next few days were spent painting the barn, ok, it’s not a “real” barn but it’s built like a barn (or a 3-car garage) and I wanted to try and finish it before the snows arrived…

11 October and back on the road to Eaton, NH

The shot of the Eaton, NH Church is a classic New Hampshire shot. But this shot is a fickle mistress because it takes just the right conditions that produce the rising mist, the mirror-like reflection, and enough color on the hill behind the Church. Well 2 out of 3 isn’t too bad. There usually is a few trees along the shore that are brightly colored. The hills above were dragging their feet and were just lightly orange.

For me, the sailboat was a new item to add to my compositions and I squeezed the small craft in from may different angles (Yes, I moved my feet!) And this video will give you an idea.

This cover shot is NOT AI or anything mysterious, other than a great atmospheric shot. I bracketed several shots of this sailboat. This means that each time I created a shot my camera took 5 shots that varied the exposures from very bright to very dark, and while I did merge these 5 shots into one shot (HDR is the technique), I didn’t choose the HDR image but grabbed a single image taken by my camera. This is the result.

13 October in St Albans, Swanton, and Fairfield, Vermont

A few days later, we were on our way to visit family in NW Vermont and I was hoping to break my losing streak in Vermont. You see, over near Lake Champlain, the fall colors turn more slowly. Do you remember the rule?

Ocean/Lake Effect Rule:
Areas close to oceans, lakes, or even large ponds tend to see fall color develop more slowly. (There are exceptions to this as well, such as a swampy area)
This is because water holds onto the summer heat and releases it gradually, keeping the surrounding landscape warmer well into autumn.
This ties directly into my Slow-Burn Theory: warmer temperatures slow the progression of fall color. Lake Champlain is a perfect example. Its size creates a broad zone of warmth that extends many miles from the shoreline, delaying peak color across the region.
Compare St. Albans and Groton, Vermont—only about 50 miles apart, yet their temperatures can look completely different. In October 2025, St. Albans was still seeing highs in the 50s and 60s, while Groton started the month near 80 before quickly dropping into the 40s and 50s, with only a few days reaching the 60s. Those cooler swings in Groton help the foliage change more quickly, while the moderated temperatures near Lake Champlain keep the colors developing more slowly.

This is why going north in mid-October, when I normally tell you to go to southern Vermont, is not a normal recommendation. Here is a gallery of images from 13 October.

While the fall colors were present, “true peak” colors were not found this season.

The last two weeks of October and into November

The last two weeks of October, I saw the oaks pick up the slack from the faded maples (as seen in my YouTube Vblog). I tended to stay closer to home these last few weeks, but I did head down to Massachusetts on 27 October to drive along the Mohawk Trail and Route 119 through Townsend, MA, through southern NH. I pretty much came up empty. On 2 November, Lisa and I headed to Saint Albans, VT. In Orange, VT, there were Tameracks (Larch) on Route 302 that were very pretty, and then on Route 89 from Georgia, VT north to St Albans, I was blown away by the birch trees, of all things??? Here is a gallery of images of things seen in late October, into November.

Jeff’s Final Wrap Up!

Yes, you could have started here, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, you would miss all my wonderful pictures!

Confusion seems to be the rule this year. It started early, but not everywhere. The hillsides stayed green, but the roadsides were turning in late August and causing people to worry (me as well). All the experts were at a loss because New England had not seen a drought of this magnitude in recorded history. (By NOAA’s reckoning, I mean)

We did not have total “Brown and Down” and as all the pictures I’m still seeing being submitted in our Fall Foliage Group on Facebook, you can still find limited color down in Boston if you hurry… The maples did drip fast, which caused trouble for those who were here around Columbus Day Weekend. After that, the oaks really started turning brightly and made for quite a show.

I hope everybody who came up had a great time searching (and I hope finding some fall colors). If you have some time, leave a comment letting me know what worked for you! Did my advice on having the Plan B’s work for you? Or did you move your feet and keep your eyes open to new locations?

My Calendars are still available, and they make great, inexpensive gifts. Also starting tomorrow (17 Nov 2025), there will be daily sales on Fine Art America. Stay tuned to my Facebook Page for what sort of items will be on sale! (On the 17th it will be all Greeting Cards on sale (each day it should be something different). Here is a link to my Facebook page, and if you have questions, message me.

Jeff Foliage Folger

Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage

Visit my Amazon affiliate store for items that Lisa and I have curated for you. These items are either New England-made or things we think will make your fall foliage trip more successful.