Fall foliage
When is leaf peeping season 2026?
Your weather right now
Looking out of your window…
Live from OpenWeatherMap.
Up north, it’s mostly over. Southern New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic can still peak in November, and the lower slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains are at their best from mid-October into early November. After that it’s bare branches until next September.
The leaves have mostly let go. The leaf blowers have not.
Last updated
When the leaves peak, by region
| Where | Peak |
|---|---|
| Northernmost statesOld Farmer’s Almanac forecast, via NPR | Start by mid-September, peak around the end of the month |
| Much of New EnglandAlmanac forecast, via NPR: at or near peak by October 11 in 2025 | Early to mid October |
| Great Smoky Mountains, above 4,000 feetNational Park Service | Early to mid October |
| Great Smoky Mountains, below 4,000 feetNational Park Service | Mid-October to early November |
| Southern New England and parts of the Mid-AtlanticAlmanac forecast, via NPR | Late October, sometimes November |
| EnglandForestry England | October and November |
Peak moves every year. The National Park Service says the timing varies from year to year, and a University of Vermont forester told NPR that predicting it isn’t an exact science.
Why leaves change color
- The calendar runs it, not the weather. Longer nights tell trees to stop making chlorophyll, the green that hides everything else.
- The yellow and orange were there all summer. Carotenoids sit in the leaf all season, which is why the yellows look about the same every year.
- The red is made fresh. Sunny days trap sugar in the leaf, and the tree turns it into anthocyanins: the reds, purples and crimsons.
- The weather decides how good it looks. Warm, sunny days with cool nights that stay above freezing make the best show. A late spring or a very dry summer can push color back a few weeks, and a warm spell in autumn dulls it.
So the most beautiful thing in nature is a tree rationing its sugar. Very romantic.
Source: USDA Forest Service, Why Leaves Change Color.
Which tree turns which color
- Red maple: brilliant scarlet. The show-off.
- Sugar maple: orange-red.
- Black maple: glowing yellow.
- Sourwood and black tupelo: crimson.
- Dogwood: purplish red.
- Oaks: red, brown or russet. Oaks commit to nothing.
- Hickories: golden bronze.
- Aspen and yellow-poplar: golden yellow.
- Beech: light tan.
- Elms: usually drab brown. Every group has one.
What’s a leaf peeper?
Merriam-Webster defines a leaf peeper as someone who heads to the woods in autumn to look at the changing leaves, and dates the word to 1965.
My definition: someone who sits in traffic on a two-lane road for a good look at a maple. I respect the commitment.
Questions people ask
- When is peak leaf peeping season 2026?
- Peak moves south and downhill. The northernmost states tend to peak around the end of September, much of New England in early to mid October, and southern New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic in late October or even November.
- Is it too late to see fall colors in November?
- Not everywhere. Southern New England and parts of the Mid-Atlantic can peak in November, and the lower slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains are at their best from mid-October into early November. Up north, it’s done.
- Why do leaves change color in the fall?
- Longer nights make trees stop producing green chlorophyll. That uncovers the yellows and oranges that were there all along, and sunny days with cool nights add new reds.
- What weather makes the best fall colors?
- Warm, sunny days and cool nights that stay above freezing, according to the USDA Forest Service. A late spring or a very dry summer can delay the color by a few weeks, and a warm spell in autumn makes it duller.
- Where does the term leaf peeper come from?
- Merriam-Webster dates leaf peeper to 1965. It means someone who heads to the woods in autumn to look at the leaves.