Fall foliage maps show when and where leaf colors will pop this year

Leaf-peeping season is about to begin! Summer's high temperatures have cooled for much of the eastern U.S. as temperatures dipped 10 to 20 degrees below the historical average for the first week of September.

The Old Farmer's Almanac says leaves can change color from mid-September to early November. "Typically, the second and third week of October are the peak times, but it shifts depending on where you live and your local weather conditions," the almanac says.

The Weather Channel says warm, sunny days are ideal for stunning fall colors, but only if they are followed by cool nights. The color display can also be influenced by precipitation; excessive rainfall and severe drought are bad for foliage.

When and where the leaves will begin to change

Some of the most vibrant fall colors can be found in New England. Every year, roughly 10 million leaf-peepers visit the region to enjoy the beauty of fall. Northern Vermont, New Hampshire and northwest Maine often have their peak season in early October.

Here's a county-by-county breakdown of how foliage is predicted to change across the United States:

Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.

Drought can affect fall colors

Weather and temperature also influence fall foliage; some conditions can dull fall colors. Warm, sunny days accompanied by cool nights make for prime conditions. Extreme drought, excessive rainfall and warm periods, however, can mute the range of fall colors. The latest forecast from the Climate Prediction Center predicts a warmer-than-average fall for nearly the entire United States.

Which states can expect the most vibrant fall colors?

Said AccuWeather's long-range weather expert, Paul Pastelok, in a news release: “You can blame heavy rainfall and flooding this spring and summer for dull colors in the Appalachians and the Smoky Mountains. Insect and fungus damage can occur across southwest Pennsylvania, western Maryland and Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, extending to Mississippi and Alabama from heavy rain. This can lead to duller colors and early droppage of leaves.”

“Heat, drought conditions and even wildfire smoke will limit the vibrancy of colors in much of the interior West,” Pastelok said. “Stressed trees in the lower elevations could drop leaves a week or two earlier than average this autumn.” 

CONTRIBUTING Clare Mulroy and Doyle Rice

SOURCE SmokyMountains.com; AccuWeather.com, National Forest Service, U.S. Drought Monitor; USA TODAY research