We know there’s a lot of leaf peepers excited to come view the gorgeous hues of red, orange, yellow and everything in between that we have up here in Northern New England… But the question most want to know is when are the peak colors their best?
Now, there’s this rumor going around that Yankee hospitality is a bit, shall we say, frigid. While this can be true – the simplest way to explain it is this – come visit our beautiful towns, treat us locals with respect and kindness, and you’ll receive it back tenfold. There, that’s the big secret! Luckily, we’re also going to tell you when to expect those glorious colors so you can plan a day (or weekend!) trip to take a leisurely drive and enjoy the stunning views!
What’s pretty awesome about this particular graphic is you can literally see how the temperature changes and seasons will transition from summer to fall in the span of a few short weeks, with a color coded visual representation across the entire US.
We have it on good authority the White Mountains of New Hampshire this week (Oct 10) is nearly at peak colors – they’re not quite fully popped yet, but by the end of the week to early next week it will be glorious!
How do the trees change you ask? Well, that’s a pretty excellent question and one we love to dive into. A few of the swamp maples we’ve spotted began changing as early as the end of August, as evidenced in the wetlands and swampy areas where they’re commonly found. When you’re driving and randomly spot a tree that’s changed to a brilliant orange or red that early in the season – August to mid-September – congratulations, you’ve spotted a swamp maple! They’re one of the ways us locals gauge how soon Fall (and then Winter!) will arrive and how quickly the temperatures will drop in September to ripen those apples we all love to pick from local orchards.
What’s the biggest driving force for brilliant colors though?
Sunny days helps increase their sugar production, while cool nights help slow their chlorophyll production (the green coloring in their leaves). If the weather is too hot, too wet, too dry, all these factors weigh in and the trees won’t turn out as brilliantly colored as we tend to see in the North East during Autumn.
Seeing as we’re currently experiencing drought conditions in many parts of Maine and parts of New Hampshire this year, the colors may not turn out as bright as we’re used to seeing – however with hurricane season in full swing, we may get some sorely needed rainfall. In these conditions, the rain will help the red coloring of the trees become more prominent! However, we’d like to pass on the high winds and heavy pounding rain which tends to knock the leaves off the trees…