Rapid weather changes, peak foliage and astronomical events on tap for October in New England
BOSTON - Welcome to October. This is the quintessential New England month. No other region in the country has as much fall-feel and beauty as we do this time of year.
It is a month of rapid change. Average temperatures take a major drop, with average highs in the 50s by month's end.
We lose more than two minutes of daylight each day and sunsets dip into the 5 p.m. hour around mid-month.
The first frost and freeze typically arrive this month for most of southern New England. Thus, growing season comes to an end, earliest in areas north and west of Boston and finally down toward the Cape and Islands.
When is peak fall foliage in New England?
This is the premier month for fall foliage across the region as well.
Colors are already peaking in the highest elevations of the Green and White Mountains.
As the days and weeks tick by in October, that wave of color pushes south, just about all the way to the South Coast.
By Halloween, most of the leaves will be browning in the suburbs and many will be off the trees.
Tropical activity still high in October
October is also one of the peak months for tropical activity in the Atlantic. We are past the peak for the season, but typically the first few weeks are often characterized by several storms still meandering around.
Currently, there are no immediate threats to land, but we did just pass the halfway point for named storms with Tropical Storm Kirk's formation way out in the Atlantic.
October astronomical events
Last but not least, October can be a great month for stargazing. We have already had a banner year for astronomical events from the total solar eclipse to a once-in-a-generation aurora borealis.
This month we will have a couple of promising meteor showers, another full supermoon and finally the chance to see Comet C/2023 A3 low in the western horizon!
Venus will also become more and more prominent in the southwest after sunset.
Grab your pumpkin spice latte and enjoy everything New England has to offer this month. If you snap any great pictures, we would love to see and share them at weather@wbztv.com