Week of Sept. 14 – 20
This is the first 2016 FALL COLOR REPORT for New York State. Reports are obtained from field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. FALL COLOR REPORTS are issued every Wednesday afternoon.
New York State’s colorful foliage season is underway with the first signs of autumn’s spectacular colors beginning to appear in the Adirondacks, Catskills, Chautauqua-Allegheny and Thousand Islands-Seaway regions, according to observers for the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NEW YORK program.
In the Adirondacks region, spotters in the Tupper Lake/Mt. Arab area project 15 percent leaf change by the weekend with muted colors of mustard and copper. The soft maples are providing a subdued, sporadic, scarlet splash. Spotters in Essex County at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington expect 10 percent color change this weekend with touches of red and yellow leaves of average brilliance. Herkimer County spotters in Old Forgeexpect 10 percent color change with some red and orange leaves emerging from the mostly green backdrop. Also in Herkimer County, spotters in Mohawk expect 10 percent change with a touch of red leaves.
In the Catskills region, foliage spotters in Delaware County predict 10 percent color change with mostly green leaves highlighted by emerging touches of red and gold, particularly in the higher altitudes. Spotters in Saugerties also expect up to 10 percent change this weekend with some yellow and gold leaves of average brilliance.
Spotters in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region reporting from Little Valley expect about 10 percent color change with some shades of yellow and a few red leaves of average brilliance. In the Thousand Islands-Seaway region, expect 10 percent change by the weekend in Oswego County. In northern areas such as Pulaski, Sandy Creek, and Altmar, dull burgundy and brown hues are starting to appear with a few red and orange spots of average brilliance. Southern areas near Phoenix and Fulton feature green forests speckled with modest orange shades.
The rest of the state expects less than 10 percent color change.
