If you're counting down the days until autumn arrives, we have some incredible news for you. According to experts across the U.S., this year's leaf display will be extra special.
For the first time in several years, there's nothing in the way of a truly glorious autumn for New England. There's no more drought, the summer has been mild, and the leaves — largely spared by marauding gypsy moth caterpillars — look healthy. Translation: A pretty great season for leaf peeping seems to be shaping up.
"It's the most optimistic forecast I've had in a couple of years," said Jim Salge, who tracks the region's annual autumn pageant for Yankee Magazine. "The biggest thing that can go wrong with foliage is a really wet couple of weeks leading up. We'll really need that typical fall weather in New England — warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights — to make it pop. But we've had a great setup."
Autumns in recent years have disappointed because they were preceded by too much or too little summer rainfall, muting the colors. Last fall was a bust in parts of eastern Massachusetts and Connecticut after hungry caterpillars defoliated hundreds of thousands of acres of already drought-stricken woodlands. But this year, Yankee's forecast says the stage is set for a particularly "strong and vibrant" display.
What's more, autumn foliage will show up earlier this year thanks to the heavy rain much of the country experienced this past summer. And the hot fall we're expecting will ensure the pretty leaves stick around longer. "Other than the Pacific Northwest, we are expecting warmer-than-average fall temperatures during the during the September through November time period," Wes Melton, the data scientist behind SmokyMountains.com's annual fall foliage map, told CountryLiving.com. "These warmer temperatures are expected to prolong the color season."
Much of the U.S. won't see foliage hues peak until early October, though some areas will see the leaves at their best as early as September with nearly the entire country seeing autumn hues by early November. Either way, you better get your hiking boots ready! A warm and beautiful fall is just a few weeks away.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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