When will fall foliage peak in New England?

BOSTON - About three weeks ago, things were going according to plan for this year's fall foliage in New England. Temperatures were starting to cool down, and Massachusetts had a pretty typical August as far as rainfall goes.

Foliage experts were predicting one of the best seasons in years thanks to a terrific growing season and very little fungus and mold spores.

Since then, it hasn't rained.  

Longest dry stretch in 25 years

Friday marks the 24th consecutive day without any measurable precipitation in Boston, which is very unusual. 

This is the longest dry stretch in 25 years and the 9th longest ever recorded in Boston.

Many weather models are predicting more of the same for the next 7-10 days, leaving us dry right through next weekend. At that point, we would be in the Top 5 longest dry spells ever recorded.

Not that anyone is complaining. This weather has been ideal for anyone playing or watching fall sports, dining outdoors or hitting a fall festival.  

Fall foliage in New England

But what about the foliage? How will this dry spell impact the colors? WBZ-TV's Terry Eliasen spoke with Yankee Magazine foliage expert Jim Salge about the upcoming season.

"Leaves are supposed to dry out this time of year as they pinch off from the trees. From what I've come to understand, this extreme spell may cause the process to happen faster and earlier, though trees were healthy beforehand, so it's unclear how much so. Should still be bright, perhaps just a bit more brief," Salge said.

So, if anything, this dry spell may cause an earlier and shorter season.  If it weren't for the dry weather, I think we would be predicting a later season given that we are forecasting highs in the 80s right through next week, about 5-10 degrees above the average this time of year.

The forecast calls for highs in the 80s right through next week, about 5-10 degrees above the average this time of year. That should certainly play a role in delaying the season, perhaps as much as a few weeks.

The current foliage map is literally all green. It is not that unusual for mid-September, but typically, by now, we start to see changing colors in the northernmost areas of New England.

In the end, the warm and dry weather may balance each other out and we could end up fairly close to seasonal averages.

We will keep you updated in the days and weeks to come. If you are heading up north, send us a report or some pics to our team at weather@wbztv.com.