Fall Foliage Report: Sept. 29

The highest terrain has near peak color, with patchy conditions elsewhere.

Patchy fall color now extends through most of Connecticut as of September 29th. The deepest colors continue to unfold across the higher terrain with green remaining dominate closer to the coast.

Patchy color:
Just about the entire state is observing patches of colorful foliage. Many trees, especially maples, feature yellows and oranges with a few reds mixed in. The colors are most prevalent across the outlying areas north of I-95.

Near-peak:
Much of Litchfield County is reporting vibrant color, particularly across the highest hills near the Massachusetts border. In some spots, there is also a modest leaf drop being observed. The hills in Tolland and Windham counties are also showing more color and those areas will likely move into the near-peak category within the next day or two.

Through this week:
Expect fall foliage to really come alive across Connecticut as we transition into October. After one more day closing in on 80 degrees for Monday, the rest of the week looks seasonably cool. This should help speed up the leaf turning process. While foliage remains variable across the state, the northwestern hills are approaching peak color. A trip up Routes 8 and 44 into Litchfield County this week will feature the most color. Up in the quiet corner across northeastern Connecticut, Routes 6 and 14 will also be great corridors to check out deepening colors.

As conditions cool off and we head deeper into the season, peak color should reach the highest terrain of northern Connecticut in early October. While colors are most rapidly deepening in the rural areas, even the cities, deeper valleys and immediate shoreline can look forward to increasing foliage over the next few weeks.

Map color table:
Green – Most leaves are green
Lime green – Patchy color is noted (more than 50% green)
Yellow – Colors are approaching peak (more than 50% turning)
Orange – Colors are peaking (more than 75% have turned)
Brown – Colors are turning brown and leaves are falling

Reports will be posted each Monday and Thursday through the foliage season.