The first big wintry blast of the season swept across the Lower 48 during the past week. Although it’s on its way out, its effect on fall color proved significant.
Peak fall color progressed swiftly south and east, according to the foliage tracking and forecasting website Explore Fall.
Autumn’s best foliage extends to the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and coastal plain, and westward into Tennessee and Kentucky as well as the southern Plains.
The season’s fast forward was heavily driven by colder air and wind, although a mild spell into next week may slow this progression.
Where colors are peaking
In the East, peak color is ongoing along and east of Interstate 95, from around New York City to Richmond. Boston and Cape Cod are still near peak too. Peak foliage extends into the lower elevations of central and western North Carolina, western South Carolina and north Georgia.
Another zone of peak color covers southern portions of the Ohio Valley into the southern and central Plains, although most of the Ozarks are just past peak. St. Louis, Evansville, Ind. and Chicago have all recently checked in with tons of color.
Westward, areas of peak color can be found over the southern High Plains, in some of the lower elevation zones along the Colorado River around the Grand Canyon and to the north.
A rapid change
In last Saturday’s fall color update, we anticipated the past week’s chilly weather would bring about substantial foliage changes.
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Even so, the peak and past peak zones shifted south and east 100 or more miles in some instances, a bigger change than predicted.
Evan Fisher, the founder of the Explore Fall website, attributed the big shift to the severity of the cold spell. The cold combined with the shorter nights can move the color change rapidly, he said.
Share this articleShare“Late October/November is always the hardest time of the year for fall foliage reporting,” Fisher said.
Where peak color is right around the corner
With the Northeast becoming increasingly leafless, near peak conditions will continue shifting toward the coast during the next week. There should be plenty to gawk at in New York City, Atlantic City, Baltimore and Washington. Much of southern Maryland and Delaware should also move toward prime color.
In the Carolinas and southward, peak foliage will shift toward the eastern Piedmont. The Charlotte to Atlanta corridor should soon reach peak. Much of the Mid-South, including northern parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas are also on their way there. The same is true across Oklahoma while bending southwestward.
Patchy areas of color will also expand into lower elevations of the Southwest and California. Regional hot spots may include southern New Mexico, as well as California’s Central Valley.
Regional spotlight: Washington and Baltimore
While the broader Washington and Baltimore region is not typically considered a top tourist destination for leaf peeping, fall is often quite pretty and lengthy. A great variety of trees ensures a prolonged period of notable color.
This year’s color display has been average to perhaps above average in spots, despite a rainfall deficit. Rather than muting the color, it seems the drier weather may have mostly led to a quicker transition toward peak conditions and earlier leaf drop.
With the colder and windier weather last week, some areas north and west of Washington and Baltimore have already passed peak.
Some of the more scenic places to spot great color right now include the Tidal Basin, Rock Creek Park and Arlington National Cemetery.
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