The best season of the year, at least according to some people such as myself, is starting this weekend! As the sun begins to set earlier and earlier, and the angle of the sunlight also becomes more indirect. As this continues into the fall, chlorophyll stops transporting water and nutrients to leaves, resulting in the color change.
The onset time and speed of the fall color change is also impacted by rainfall received over the summer, and fall temperatures to a lesser extent. This summer, rainfall anomalies have greatly varied across the state. Southwest PA currently sits in a moderate to severe drought.
Other parts of the state had a very dry period in June and July, followed by a very wet August. Temperatures were only slightly above average this summer as a whole, so there is little concern about the summer heat impacting fall foliage.
This will all play a role, as drier conditions over the summer often yield an earlier, less vibrant fall foliage season. You may have noticed some trees already losing their leaves across drought-stricken areas, due to the lack of rainfall. Pennsylvania has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any place in the world, which will be the case this year as well.
2024 FALL FOLIAGE COLOR VIBRANCY FORECAST
Area A: Average summer rainfall and temperatures should make for a vibrant fall foliage season.
Area B: Prolonged dry periods over the summer may result in a slightly less vibrant fall foliage season. However, widespread early leaf drop is not expected.
Area C: Persisting drought conditions from a very dry summer will make for a less vibrant, shorter fall foliage season. Early leaf drop is a concern here due to the dry conditions.
2024 FALL FOLIAGE PEAK DATES FORECAST
Area A: Peak fall foliage colors expected the week of October 6th through October 12th. This area includes some of the best views in the state, so don’t wait to plan our trip up to the Northern PA mountains!
Area B: Peak fall foliage colors anticipated the week of October 13th to October 19th. The ridges of Central and Eastern PA will be about a week ahead of the valleys.
Area C: Peak fall foliage colors expected the week of October 20th through October 26th. This includes many valley locales, but the ridges within this area will peak several days earlier.
Area D: Peak fall foliage colors predicted the week of October 27th to November 2nd. This includes many of the lower valleys of Southeast and South Central PA.
Area E: Peak fall foliage colors anticipated the week of November 3rd to November 9th. This small area around Philadelphia peaks later due to the urban heat island.
Fall will be here before you know it, so don’t forget to share this article with friends and family! A weekend getaway to places like the Endless Mountains, PA Grand Canyon, Jim Thorpe, and many more is always a fantastic time.
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