Fall foliage 2025: Where to expect the best color
Leaf-peeping season is almost here. Find out where fall foliage is expected to pop and which regions may have a shorter show this year.
Leaf-peeping season is almost here. Lincoln Riddle has the story on where fall foliage is expected to be most vibrant this fall.
The annual autumnal leaf show is almost here, and the stage is set for a vibrant display in some of the most popular foliage sightseeing destinations.
Weather conditions leading up to fall have a big role in how colorful the displays become, and when leaves reach peak vibrancy. "I do think that there could be times where we see the fall foliage bright, but it may be a short window in some places because of weather factors," AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok explained.
General views of fall colors on October 22, 2023 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
What creates vibrant colors?
A brilliant fall display depends on three key factors:
•A healthy growing season: Steady rainfall in spring and early summer helps trees enter autumn with less stress.
•Cool nights and sunny days: Chilly evenings without frost help trap sugars in leaves, which fuel the reds and purples. Warm, humid nights do the opposite.
•Minimal disruption: Drought, wind, torrential rain, insects or early frost can cut the season short or result in duller colors.
Where are the best colors expected this fall?
Two of the most popular areas to view and photograph fall foliage are expected to have great conditions in 2025.
"The aspens in Colorado should be great viewing in the early fall from September through mid-October, but leaves may drop earlier than usual due to dry weather," Pastelok said.
It should also be a good year for foliage across much of the Plains and into the Midwest. "An early frost is possible across the Dakotas and Minnesota but probably not hard enough to spoil foliage completely," Pastelok added. "But some leaves will fall early with help of wind following stronger cold fronts, especially in October."
New England is also famous for its foliage, and it's shaping up to have vibrant displays thanks to plenty of rain in spring and throughout much of the summer.
As long as a flash-drought doesn't sap the soil of moisture before autumn, "the fall foliage season should be good to excellent," according to Pastelok.
A good showing of foliage is also predicted in the eastern areas of North Carolina and South Carolina. The biggest concern in this region will be wind from a tropical storm or hurricane, which will knock the leaves off of trees before they reach peak colors.
Where foliage colors may be dull
While parts of the East are on track for a strong season, other areas may not be as lucky, with more typical or even lackluster colors expected this year across most of the Appalachians.
"Insect and fungus damage may have or can occur across southwestern Pennsylvania, western Maryland and Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee extending to Mississippi and Alabama from the heavy rain late spring into summer," Pastelok explained. "This can lead to duller colors and early droppage of leaves."
In the Pacific Northwest and California, the combination of drought, warm conditions and potential wildfire smoke will likely limit vibrancy. Leaves in the middle and lower elevations may start falling one to two weeks early due to stress.
There could be pockets of better colors in Montana, although they will not be as vibrant or as widespread as what is likely to unfold across Colorado and Wyoming.
Climate connection
Warmer weather and longer growing seasons are starting to reshape the rhythm of autumn.
"Fall foliage is the result of a delicate balance of temperature, moisture, and sunlight changes. With climate change shifting or disrupting those patterns, we are increasingly seeing variability in both the timing and vibrancy of the season," AccuWeather Climate Expert and Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson explained. "Warm autumn nights are especially impactful."
Sunlight falls on remaining bright foliage as the snow capped ski trails of Stowe ski resort are seen on the side of Mt. Mansfield in Stowe , Vt. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
The result is less consistency year to year, with more regions seeing duller colors, shorter seasons, or earlier leaf drop. "Warming planet could allow more migration of pests farther north, destroying certain trees," Pastelok added.
At-a-glance: 2025 fall foliage forecast:
•Most vibrant areas: New England, Colorado Rockies, Plains, Midwest
•Mixed but decent: Great Lakes, Montana
•Risk of dull colors or early drop: Pacific Northwest, most of Appalachians, Gulf Coast states
