Seasonal Colors Appearing Across New York State
Albany, NY – (Editor’s note: This is the third 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 and are available at iloveny.com.)
New York State’s spectacular fall foliage season is progressing with beautiful near-peak leaves expected this weekend in the Adirondacks and Catskills regions, while other regions are reaching midpoint of change, according to volunteer observers from the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.
In the Adirondacks, spotters reporting from Tupper Lake project near-peak foliage for the weekend with 75% color change. A golden glow marks the landscape with the leaves transitioning to goldenrod, saffron, russet, pumpkin, ginger, scarlet and cranberry. Some leaves are beginning to fall. In Saranac Lake, expect near-peak colors with 70% change and a gorgeous mix of red, orange and yellow hues. In Malone and the northern portion of the county, foliage will be nearing the midpoint of change with about 40% color transition and brilliant yellows, reds and oranges.
In Essex County, look for near-peak foliage in Lake Placid this weekend. Spotters project up to 80% color change with leaves showing brilliant shades of red, deep red, orange and yellow. Spotters reporting from Ticonderoga expect foliage to be approaching midpoint of change this weekend with up to 50% color transition and yellow, orange and red leaves of average brilliance. In Willsboro look for 25% color change with bright shades of red and golden yellow, and some rust. In the southern portion of the county, communities including Schroon Lake, Minerva, North Hudson and Newcomb can expect 20-25% color change with a mix of bright red and yellow leaves. In Crown Point, spotters are calling for 10-20% color change with a sprinkling of muted golds and rusts and some occasional sparks of bright color, especially at higher elevations.
Color change is rapidly progressing in Hamilton County, according to spotters in Lake Pleasant. Look for near-peak conditions with 80% leaf transition and average-to-very bright orange and red leaves. In the Adirondacks portion of St. Lawrence County, foliage is nearing peak with 70% color change and varying shades of green, red, orange, yellow and purple. In the Herkimer County hamlet of Old Forge, observers expect 55% color transition by the weekend with the foliage still around midpoint of change. Look for red and orange leaves of average brilliance. In Warren County, look for 25-30% color change featuring various shades of yellow and orange, with the southern portion of the county seeing 20-25% change.
In the Catskills, foliage will be nearing peak this weekend in Delaware County. Look for 70% color change and gold, green and red leaves. The mountains of Greene County will see up to 50% color transition this weekend, with midpoint to near-peak foliage in elevations above 2,000 feet. Look for bright touches of red, yellow, orange and green. Observers reporting from the town of Catskill expect foliage will be 35% changed by the weekend with vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow with a hint of purple. In the town of Forestburgh, about 20 miles from Port Jervis in Sullivan County, foliage will be at midpoint of change this weekend, with 50% color transition and bright shades of red, yellow, orange, wine and peach. Leaves will also be approaching midpoint of change this weekend around Ferndale, with 30-35% color transition highlighted by bright pops of red and orange, and a touch of yellow.
At Belleayre Mountain in the Ulster County community of Highmount, foliage will be nearing midpoint of change by the weekend, with 30% color transition and average-to-bright yellow and orange leaves coming on strong. Observers reporting from Kingston project 10-15% color change with yellow, orange and red leaves.
In the Thousand Islands-Seaway region, Jefferson County observers reporting from along the St. Lawrence River in Alexandria Bay expect foliage to be at midpoint of change this weekend, with 50% color transition and yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance. Oswego County can expect 30% color change by this weekend as average shades of green continue to dominate the southern end of the county. Varying shades of pumpkin, bronze and gold are washing over the landscape, making the growing number of bright red and orange spots even more spectacular. In St. Lawrence County, look for foliage to be at midpoint of change this weekend in the St. Lawrence River Valley with 40% color transition and green, red, orange, yellow and purple leaves.
In the Capital-Saratoga region, reports from Caroga Lake in Fulton County predict 40% foliage change by the weekend with bright yellow leaves predominating the landscape, along with some orange leaves. Gloversville and Johnstown can expect 25% color change with muted-to-average shades of yellow and orange. At Lapland Lake Resort in Benson, 25-30% color change is anticipated by the weekend with bright red leaves among patches of orange and yellow. In the Albany County city of Cohoes, foliage is nearing 25% color change with yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance. Saratoga County observers in Saratoga Springs project 15% color change with assorted green, yellow, gold, amber, red and orange hues visible throughout the area. In Schenectady County, look for 10-15% color change with bright yellow leaves, along with some red appearing on shrubs and some trees.
In Central New York, Broome County spotters in Binghamton project 25% color change this weekend with touches of yellow and light green leaves. Chenango County observers in Norwich anticipate 25% color change with a mix of yellow and burnt orange leaves. Reports from Mohawk in southern Herkimer County expect about 10% color transition with most trees just starting to show changes. Look for shades of yellow and hints of orange. In Madison County, spotters project a mix of foliage conditions depending on location. The northern portion of the county, along the Old Erie Canal Trail, will see 20% change, while the southern portion of the county around the Brookfield Trail System will be around midpoint of change with 50% color transition. Red leaves are dominant in the southern portion, while in the northern portion offers a good mix of yellow and red leaves.
In Montgomery County, observers at Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site in Fort Hunter project 20% leaf change this weekend with pops of orange and shades of red. Oneida County reports from Utica project nearly 20% color change with some yellow-orange and red leaves of average brilliance, along with some purple tones. Cooperstown in Otsego County can expect about 20% leaf change this weekend with muted shades of orange, red and yellow. In the Schoharie County village of Middleburgh, 10-20% color change is expected with mostly green leaves along with touches of red and orange.
In the Finger Lakes, foliage ranges from the early stages of change to nearing midpoint in Steuben County. Spotters reporting from Corning and Bath expect 30% color change; reports from Hornell and Canisteo predict 50% transition. Leaves throughout the county are bright shades of gold, yellow and red. About 25% color change is expected around Canandaigua in Ontario County. Leaves are still mostly green, with more yellow and orange beginning to appear, and the southern part of the county changing quicker than the northern portion. Geneva foliage observers anticipate up to 10% color change with traces of maroon and yellow leaves.
Tioga County foliage will be 20% changed this weekend, according to spotters in Owego. Look for red and yellow leaves of average brilliance. Tompkins County foliage observers in Ithaca anticipate 20% leaf change this weekend with some bright-to-average shades of red, bronze and yellow popping out on all area hills. In Wayne County, spotters in Lyons expect 20% color change by the weekend with some muted yellow and red leaves. In Chemung County, Elmira observers predict more than 20% leaf change by the weekend, with shades of yellow and red leaves appearing over a predominately green backdrop. Cortland County foliage observers project 15% color change with muted touches of red and orange leaves beginning to appear. In Livingston County, spotters in Geneseo are calling for 15% color change with mostly golden hues of average brilliance along with occasional pops of red from the woody vines and red maples.
In Monroe County, Rochester foliage observers project just over 10% color change this weekend. The maples are turning red, dark red and yellow especially on the ends of the branches; on some varieties of maple the leaves are pink and yellow at the ends of the branches. White poplar trees are shedding their tan-colored leaves and the some of the sassafras trees have red leaves. Spotters in the city’s surrounding communities away from Lake Ontario are calling for just under 10% color change and note that some signs of color change are appearing, but that most of the leaves are still dark green to yellow/olive green. Some solid shades of yellow are appearing more and more each day, especially on the locust trees, and sumac are showing leaves of bright red, which is normal for this time of year.
In Syracuse around the Syracuse University campus, expect 15% color change with average-to-bright shades of yellow leaves. Cayuga County spotters in Auburn project 10% leaf change with touches of yellow and red leaves of average brilliance appearing. Schuyler County observers in Watkins Glen expect a little under 10% change by the weekend. Light touches of yellow, particularly on hilltop trees, are becoming more noticeable over the lush, bright green backdrop. Foliage transition in Seneca County will remain around 5% as touches of bright yellow leaves are beginning to appear. About 10% of the leaves will be changed in Yates County, with some bright red leaves among the mostly green canopy.
In the Chautauqua-Allegheny region, color change is accelerating in Cattaraugus County around Little Valley. Look for about 35% foliage change with some gorgeous shades of orange becoming more prominent this weekend. At Allegany State Park, observers are predicting 20-25% change with shades of red in maple trees. Chautauqua County observers expect 15-25% color change in the county’s northern and southern portions and around 30% change mid-county. Most leaves are still green with some red, orange and yellow appearing.
In the Greater Niagara region, Wyoming County spotters in Perry are projecting 20-25% color change with muted-to-average shades of red, orange and yellow becoming more noticeable over the mostly green backdrop. In Batavia in Genesee County, expect 15-20% color change with red, yellow, orange, and some purple leaves of average brilliance. Erie County foliage observers reporting from Buffalo anticipate 10-15% color change with some golden yellow leaves of average brilliance. Springville should see 25% color change with yellow and orange leaves, and a slight touch of red.
Around 15% color change is expected in Orleans County, according to observers in Albion. Fall colors include deep red, bright yellow and orange. Foliage is in the early stages of change in Niagara County around Niagara Falls, with mostly green leaves and transition around 5%.
In the Hudson Valley, Orange County spotters in Goshen expect 25% color change by the weekend. There are some bright pops of yellow, gold and red depending on the tree variety and elevation among the mostly green landscape. In the Columbia County city of Hudson, trees are just starting to change, with random pops of orange, yellow and red leaves accounting for 20% change. In Rockland County, observers in New City project 15% color change with some yellow and red leaves of average brilliance. Bear Mountain State Park should see color change a little over 10%, with some fall colors appearing in trees and vines. Change will remain around 10% change in Dutchess County, according to observers in Poughkeepsie, with mostly yellow leaves. Westchester County observers reporting from White Plains anticipate just under 10% change by the weekend with fall colors just beginning to appear.
On Long Island, observers reporting from the Long Island Welcome Center in Dix Hills project 5-10% color change across Nassau and Suffolk counties with yellow and orange leaves of average brilliance.
In New York City, spotters reporting from The Bronx project 5-10% color change with bright yellow leaves appearing.
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.