We kind of assume that fall is fall, spring is spring, yadda yadda, but those of you who are thinking about traveling up to Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire to catch all the reds, greens, and yellows aren’t going to find any such thing. Not this year, anyway.
Weather actually plays a big role in fall colors. If it's too dry or too wet, trees can get stressed and look dull. Sunny days and cool nights are perfect for bright colors, but frost can cut the season short.
And, because of that, AccuWeather's experts say fall colors might be a bit blah this year in places like New England, the Rockies, as well as Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, as well as Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon.
Where you should go instead
Instead, forecasters are expecting the best show in the Midwest—think fiery reds and oranges— says AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok.
"We are forecasting the best places to go are in the Midwest – in a zone that stretches from the interior Northeast and Great Lakes through the Mississippi River Valley. The trees should have nice reds and oranges and that could extend all the way down to parts of the Ozarks and parts of southern Missouri,” said Pastelok.
In addition to the Midwest, Pastelok likes upstate New York, western New York, and parts of Pennsylvania for fall colors.
“Those areas have had a little bit less rainfall. Through September, we may be missing out on the heaviest rainfall. Cooler nights will bring out some of those brighter colors in those areas,” Pastelok explained.
Here's the complete Accuweather fall colors forecast map:
