Colorful Peak Foliage Arriving in Chautauqua-Allegheny Region
Albany, NY – This is the fifth 2019 Fall Foliage Report for New York State. Reports are obtained from volunteer field observers and reflect expected color conditions for the coming weekend. Fall Foliage Reports are issued every Wednesday afternoon.
Gorgeous peak foliage will be arriving in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region this weekend, while brilliant peak colors continue to thrive in areas of the Adirondacks and Catskills, according to volunteer observers from the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.
In the Adirondacks, Essex County foliage observers are calling for continued peak conditions in Lake Placid this weekend with nearly complete color change and leaves featuring bright shades of red, yellow, gold and orange. The Whiteface Mountain area in Wilmington will be past peak this weekend with nearly complete color change and bright shades of yellow and orange along with some red. Reports from Schroon Lake project peak foliage for the weekend with nearly complete color transition and brilliant shades of red and yellow. Foliage will be at peak in Ticonderoga, with bright gold and orange leaves highlighted by shades of red. In Crown Point, observers are calling for near-peak foliage with 60-85% change and more fall colors appearing daily, including oranges, yellows and reds, plus some green along Lake Champlain. Willsboro can expect near-peak foliage with 75% color transition showcasing bright yellow and gold leaves along with some rich shades of red and rust.
In the Adirondacks portion of St. Lawrence County, areas will feature near-peak and peak conditions with varying shades of red, orange, yellow and purple. In northern Warren County, spotters in North Creek, Hague and Thurman project near-peak foliage with vibrant yellow, orange and red leaves. The southern portion of the county can expect up to 75% color change with bright yellow, red and orange leaves. Spotters at Lapland Lake Resort in southern Hamilton County, project 70-80% change and near-peak to peak conditions with yellow and orange leaves, along with some red highlights of average brilliance.
In Franklin County, reports from Tupper Lake anticipate foliage will be just-past-peak this weekend with 90-95% color change and cinnamon, copper, honey, ginger, clementine, saffron and paprika leaves of above-average brilliance. Malone and the northern portion of the county will be slightly past peak, with nearly complete color transition featuring shades of yellow with some orange. In Saranac Lake, expect foliage to be just-past-peak this weekend with 90% change and a bright and soothing blend of reds, oranges and yellows of varying brilliance. Foliage will be just-past-peak this weekend in Hamilton County, according to spotters in Lake Pleasant. Look for nearly complete color transition and bright red leaves, along with some shades of yellow and orange. In the Herkimer County hamlet of Old Forge, expect past-peak foliage this weekend with 90% color transition and leaves with average shades of deep red, burnt orange and yellow.
In the Capital-Saratoga region, Rensselaer County observers project 60-70% transition in the eastern and northern parts of the county and 55-65% color change in the western and southern portions. Look for bright reds, including purple-red and orange-red leaves, in addition to orange, yellow and the remaining green leaves. In the Albany County city of Cohoes, foliage change will be about 50% this weekend with muted orange and rust-colored leaves, along with some red and yellow. In Schenectady County, look for 50% color transition and a mix of red, yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance. Saratoga County observers in Saratoga Springs project 40% change with a full range of fall colors visible including bright reds, yellows and oranges, along with ambers and greens.
In the Catskills, look for peak foliage in the Forestburgh area of Sullivan County, with nearly complete color transition and bright shades of red, yellow, orange, wine and peach. Leaves will be approaching near-peak this weekend around Ferndale, with 60% change highlighted by bright red, yellow and purple leaves. This weekend, the mountains of Greene County will again feature a mix of near-peak and peak foliage, with about 95% color change above 2,000 feet. Look for bright touches of red, orange and yellow. Observers reporting from the town of Catskill project that the county’s valley areas will be near-peak at about 85% change and the town will experience near-peak conditions with 80% change and bright red, yellow and orange leaves.
At Belleayre Mountain in the Ulster County community of Highmount, foliage will be near-peak by the weekend with 85% change and bright orange, red and yellow leaves. In Kingston, spotters project 25% color change for the weekend with increasing amounts of yellow, orange, red and burgundy leaves of average brilliance. Foliage will be just-past-peak this weekend in Delaware County, with complete color transition featuring bright gold and orange leaves.
In the Chautauqua-Allegheny region, Allegany State Park in Cattaraugus County has been showing increasingly yellow foliage this week and reports anticipate peak foliage for the weekend. Oak trees are still showing green leaves, but some are just starting to change at this point. Look for yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance. Observers in Little Valley project 60-70% color change this weekend with yellow, yellow-green, orange and red leaves of average to above-average brilliance. Chautauqua County observers expect 30% change in the county’s northern and southern portions, and around 35% change mid-county. Look for green, gold, red, orange and yellow leaves of average brilliance.
In Central New York, reports from Norwich in Chenango County predict 85% color transition and near-peak foliage with mostly yellow-brown leaves and pops of red and orange. Foliage in the Schoharie County village of Middleburgh will be near-peak with 80% color transition and red, yellow and rust leaves of average brilliance. In Montgomery County, observers at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter expect leaves to be at midpoint of change. Look for 50% transition with bright shades of orange coming through mostly average shades of yellow and red.
In Otsego County, Cooperstown observers project 45% change this weekend with some orange leaves among primarily yellow and green foliage. Travelers will find more color changes in areas away from lakesides. Broome County spotters in Binghamton project 45% change this weekend with touches of red, yellow and light green leaves. In Madison County, spotters reporting from Oxbow Falls County Park in the town of Canastota project at least 40% change this weekend with mostly orange leaves, along with a few reds and yellows of average brilliance. Observers in the southern Herkimer County village of Mohawk expect up to 30% color transition with some trees displaying vibrant colors, while most of the area continues to showcase light yellows and reds. Oneida County reports from Utica expect 30% color change with increasing orange, red and purple tones.
In the Thousand Islands-Seaway region, Jefferson County observers from along the St. Lawrence River in Alexandria Bay expect near-peak conditions this weekend, with 90% color transition and bright yellow, orange and red leaves. Oswego County can expect 60-75% change as hues are quickly washing across the landscape. The eastern side of the county will be colorful this weekend with bright displays of red, orange and yellow. Average amber, bronze and purple tones continue to dominate the western edge of the county with more pops of red and orange. St. Lawrence County spotters in Canton expect midpoint to near-peak foliage this weekend, with 40-50% change and red, orange, yellow and purple leaves of average brilliance.
In the Finger Lakes, Chemung County reports from Elmira predict 75% change and near-peak leaves by the weekend, with average shades of yellow and orange. Foliage change will range between midpoint and near-peak in Steuben County. Spotters in Corning and Bath expect 60% color change, while reports from Hornell and Canisteo predict 70% transition. Leaves throughout the county are bright shades of orange, gold, yellow and red. Cortland County foliage observers project 50% color change with touches of red and orange leaves. Look for 50% color change around Canandaigua in Ontario County with yellow, red and orange leaves of average brilliance. In Tioga County, foliage in Owego will be 50% changed this weekend with muted red and yellow leaves.
Tompkins County observers in Ithaca anticipate up to 45% leaf transition by this weekend with foliage in some areas approaching midpoint of change. Look for some bright reds, along with some bright yellows in areas with the highest amount of color change. Areas with 35-40% color change still have a fair amount of green with hints of reds and lots of yellow along with some bronze. Cayuga County spotters in Auburn project 45% leaf change with bright yellow, red and orange leaves. In Livingston County, reports from Geneseoexpect foliage to be at midpoint of change this weekend with 40-45% color transition. Most trees now have some fall color; shades include orange, red and burgundy.
In Rochester and surrounding Monroe County communities, look for 30-35% foliage change this weekend with mostly green leaves highlighted by yellow, red and dark red leaves of varying brilliance. The yellows, oranges, reds and dark reds will only get better. A couple of bright copper colored trees have been seen; more will follow them. North of Rochester, spotters in Greece anticipate 35% color change by the weekend an increasing number of trees are showing yellow and light green leaves. Look for isolated pockets of red and orange leaves emerging. Schuyler County observers in Watkins Glen expect up to 35% change. Cooler evening temperatures mean a rapidly increasing amount of yellow and light orange leaves on many trees throughout the county, particularly on hilltops.
In Wayne County, Lyons can expect 30% change by the weekend with some muted red and orange leaves. Up to 30% of the leaves will be changed in the higher elevations of Yates County, with some bright red and yellow leaves overtaking the fading green canopy. Foliage change in the county’s lowest elevations will be considerably less, with many remaining green leaves. Reports from the Ontario County town of Farmington project 25-35% color change this weekend with shades of yellow and burgundy. Around the Syracuse University campus in Onondaga County, expect 25% color change with some yellows and oranges of average brilliance. Seneca County observers project 20% color change with mostly green leaves and touches of yellow and red.
In the Greater Niagara region, Wyoming County spotters in Perry are projecting 40-45% color change with average-to-bright shades of red, orange and yellow. The Erie County village of Springville should see 50% color change by the weekend. Reports from the towns of Boston and Hamburg project 60-70% color change by the weekend, Expect near-peak colors in Boston, with yellow and orange leaves. Foliage observers reporting from Buffalo anticipate 25-30% change with pops of yellow, red, orange and purples appearing over the primarily green backdrop. In Genesee County, observers in Batavia expect 30% color change with red, orange, and some purple leaves of average brilliance. In Orleans County, 25% color change is expected in Albion. Fall colors include deep red, bright yellow, orange and some remaining green. Niagara County foliage spotters in Niagara Falls expect just 15% color change by the weekend, with touches of yellow, orange and red leaves of average brilliance.
In the Hudson Valley, foliage will be at midpoint of change around Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, with 50% transition and yellow, orange and red leaves of average brilliance. Orange County reports from Goshen expect 50% color change with widespread shades of gold and orange with touches of red, rust and coral beautifully contrasting with the remaining green. In the Columbia County city of Hudson, foliage will be at midpoint of change, with 45% color transition and gold and yellow leaves of average brilliance along with some splashes of maroon. In Rockland County, observers in New City project 30% color change with orange, yellow and purple leaves of average brilliance. Spotters at Bear Mountain State Park expect 30% color change with an array of brown, red and yellow leaves. Westchester County reports from White Plains anticipate 30% change by the weekend with red, orange and yellow leaves.
On Long Island, observers at the Long Island Welcome Center in Dix Hills expect up to 15% color change across Nassau and western Suffolk counties with yellow, orange and red leaves of average brilliance. Suffolk County spotters reporting from Tanger Outlet Center in Riverhead also expect 15% change by the weekend with orange, dark red, and yellow leaves of average brilliance. In Nassau County, color change in Manhasset will be around 10% this weekend. Look for muted red, yellow, mahogany and tan leaves.
In New York City, observers reporting from Morris Park in The Bronx project 10-15% color change this weekend with some bright yellow and orange leaves continuing to appear.
Volunteer Leaf Peepers
The I LOVE NY team of volunteer Leaf Peepers, located throughout the state’s 11 vacation regions, are tasked with keeping track of the color change in their area as leaves progress each week. The information is then used for fall foliage reports, which are posted online each week, featuring a detailed map of color change throughout New York State, vantage points for viewing spectacular foliage, suggested autumn getaways and weekly event listings in each region.
About Fall Foliage
The weekly foliage report, a detailed map charting fall color progress, vantage points for viewing spectacular foliage, suggested autumn getaways and weekly event listings are available by visiting the I LOVE NEW YORK web site at www.iloveny.com/foliage. Reports are also available by dialing, toll-free, 800/CALL-NYS (800/225-5697) from anywhere in the U.S., its territories and Canada. To learn how to become a volunteer Leaf Peeper, e-mail your name, address and phone number to foliage@esd.ny.gov. Fall foliage reports are also available by dialing, toll-free, 800-CALL-NYS.