Overview

• A cool, smoke-free air mass in early September has already triggered spotty color in the East, and Pennsylvania’s DCNR may move its weekly foliage reports up from Oct. 2 to Sept. 25.
• AccuWeather expects the most vibrant color across New England and the Midwest, with only about half of states likely to see strong displays this year.
• Heavy spring and summer rain and flooding are projected to dull colors and shorten peak in the Appalachians and Smoky Mountains, with insect and fungal damage contributing to early leaf drop.
• Heat, drought and wildfire stress point to a less vivid season in parts of the West, where lower-elevation trees could shed leaves one to two weeks earlier than average.
• NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center calls for above-normal temperatures into November and notes August dryness in the East, as experts warn a warm or rainy stretch would delay and mute colors and advise using county-level tools like SmokyMountains.com for timing.