Midwest is best for vibrant fall colors this year
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Step aside, New England — the Midwest is the place to be for leaf-peeping season this year, according to AccuWeather.
Why it matters: Your window to view the bright hues might be trickier to predict, as climate change impacts when leaves change — and how colorful they get.
The big picture: Peak fall foliage in central Indiana will be here before you know it and experts are predicting vibrant colors across the Midwest and Great Lakes region.
- One of the key weather factors behind vibrant fall foliage is consistent rainfall throughout the late spring and summer, which is why typical leaf-peeping hotspots in New England and the Rockies are expected to have dull foliage this year.
What they're saying: "We are forecasting the best places to go are in the Midwest," said AccuWeather lead long-range expert Paul Pastelok. "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."
Driving the news: Using historical weather reports, tree species info and user data, travel brand SmokyMountains.com put together 2024 foliage prediction maps of the U.S.
- For central and southern Indiana, leaves will achieve their peak fall color between Oct. 21 and Oct. 28.
- We'll likely be past peak color by the end of the month, so you better start planning your leaf-peeping trip now.
Between the lines: The green color in leaves comes from chlorophyll, the pigment that helps plants turn sunlight into energy via photosynthesis.
- As nights get longer and there's less sunlight in the fall, leaves stop making chlorophyll.
- The green color fades and the yellows, oranges, reds or purples become visible.