2024 fall foliage predictions: These maps show when to see peak fall colors in NH

Fall is almost here in New England, which means New Hampshire is about to erupt in fall colors.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through early November. However, the exact timing of fall colors, as well as how vivid they are, depends on the location and weather of the year.

Many weather factors can affect the fall color show, including drought, precipitation and warmer temperatures. The Climate Prediction Center predicts a warmer-than-average fall for nearly the entire U.S., which can lower the intensity of autumn colors, but the Old Farmer’s Almanac still predicts a great year for fall foliage in New England, recommending people take a trip to the White Mountains for the show.

And they’re not the only ones. Here’s a look at two of the other key forecasts.

Where and when leaves are predicted to change

Here’s a breakdown of how the 2024 foliage is predicted to change across the U.S., according to maps from the Smoky Mountains website:

As seen in these maps, the vibrant fall hues which New Hampshire is so well-known for are expected to peak in the first half of October. The region’s colorful foliage displays bring in about ten million leafpeepers each year.

Here is a map from AccuWeather showing the best month for autumn colors across the country:

Like the Smoky Mountains, AccuWeather predicts that New England’s best month for foliage will be October, with most of the region peaking in the early or middle parts of the month. According to this map, northern corners of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could see an earlier peak in late September, while Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts will peak later in October.

More: Visit these six Eastern Mass. parks and trails to view great foliage this fall

How leaves change color in the fall

As plants receive less and less sunlight in the shortened days of fall, the production of chlorophyll, a substance which makes the leaves appear green by saturating them through turning sunlight into glucose, slows down. Without chlorophyll, the “true” color of leaves comes through, according to the Smoky Mountains website.

Changed leaves then begin to fall off their branches as the trees close off their veins in preparation for protection in winter, meaning the leaves no longer receive nutrients and therefore weaken at the stem.

SOURCE: The National Forest Service, SmokyMountains.com, ExploreFall.com

Doyle Rice and Janet Loehrke of USA Today contributed to this report.