Why New England’s Fall Foliage Lacks Pizzazz This Year

Fall colors began to pop sooner than normal this year but most places seemed to lack that pizzazz that makes leaf-peeping in New England so special.

Early Signs of Fall Colors in New England

My wife and I traveled to the Bar Harbor, Maine area in September and were surprised to see color so soon. Even here in Massachusetts, there were splashes of color in September, much earlier than we are accustomed to seeing it.

Some trees still haven't begun the process, while others seem to have gone from green straight to brown.

Locals React to Dull Leaves

Barbara Nemensky Mee posted to the Facebook page Travel and Do Things in New England, a Group by Colibri Travel and Tours that "Color is abysmal at best."

Rita Kirsch Thieme responded to the post with "It's been really terrible."

"I feel bad for people who planned trips from other parts of the country in an effort to see fall foliage in New England," she added.

Mary Ann Gilbert of Swansea posted, "A lot of trees look burnt."

OK, so what's up?

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Weather Impacts on Leaf Color

Springfield-based WWLP-TV Channel 22 blames the crummy foliage on "drought and warm weather."

"Massachusetts is experiencing less vibrant foliage colors this fall due to a dry summer and warmer temperatures," according to the station. "The combination of dry summer and warm fall has led to a deficit in rainfall, impacting the vibrancy of the foliage colors in Massachusetts."

"Typically, cooler temperatures and adequate rainfall are needed to produce the bright reds and yellows associated with fall foliage," according to WWLP.

Well, being that we're hearty New Englanders and New England sports fans, we've become accustomed to saying, "Wait 'til next year." What choice do we have anyway?

Ah, maybe it will snow this winter.