When is fall color peak in New England?

BOSTON — About three weeks ago, things were going according to plan for this year’s games. autumn leaves in new englandTemperatures began to cool and Massachusetts experienced a fairly typical August in terms of rainfall.

Leaf experts predicted one of the best seasons in years, thanks to a great growing season and very little mold and stamens.

Since Thanit hasn’t rained.

Longest dry spell in 25 years

Friday marks the 24th consecutive day without measurable precipitation in Boston, which is highly unusual.

This is the longest dry spell in 25 years and the ninth longest ever recorded in Boston.

Many weather models predict more of the same for the next 7-10 days, keeping us dry until next weekend, at which point we would be in the top 5 of longest dry periods ever recorded.

Not that anyone is complaining. This weather is ideal for anyone playing or watching fall sports, dining outside, or attending a fall festival.

Autumn leaves in New England

But what about the foliage? How will this dry spell affect the colors? WBZ-TV’s Terry Eliasen spoke with Yankee Magazine foliage expert Jim Salge about the upcoming season.

“Leaves should be drying out at this time of year as they fall off the trees. From what I understand, this extreme period may cause the process to happen faster and earlier, although the trees were healthy beforehand, so it’s unclear to what extent. It should still be clear, maybe just a little shorter,” Salge said.

So maybe the dry weather is not a big problem. But from a meteorological point of view, the warm weather can have more impact.

The forecast predicts highs of 80 through next week, about 5-10 degrees above average for this time of year. That should definitely play a role in delaying the season, perhaps by a few weeks.

The current foliage map is literally all green. It’s not that unusual for mid-September, but we’re usually starting to see changing colors in the northernmost areas of New England.

Given the current state of the leaves and the forecast warm spell, it would be a safe bet that peak color will be somewhat delayed. So, you can add a week or two to these averages.

We’ll keep you updated in the coming days and weeks. If you’re heading north, send us a report or some photos to our team at weather@wbztv.com.