Overview

• AccuWeather projects vivid color across much of New England, the Midwest and parts of the Rockies, with warnings of shorter viewing windows in some areas.
• Heavy spring and summer rains and resulting insect and fungal damage are expected to dull displays across the Appalachians, including parts of western Pennsylvania and the Smokies.
• Heat, drought and wildfire smoke are forecast to limit vibrancy across the interior West, with stressed low‑elevation trees likely to drop leaves earlier than average.
• SmokyMountains.com’s county map pinpoints timing, including a projected Oct. 13 peak for Cuyahoga, Lorain and Erie counties in Northeast Ohio, with higher elevations peaking earlier.
• On-the-ground reports show early color in northern Minnesota’s Chippewa National Forest, and New England experts flag earlier turn in some areas and growing impacts from beech leaf disease even as maples look healthy.