Fall foliage season is here! At least, a glimmer of it is somewhere out there, outside of your apartment where you have been isolating as the seasons change. Are you going to venture out and find it? Maybe head upstate for some agritourism? Hit up a local corn maze and make a pretty nice little Saturday out of it? Oh, what manic highs the autumn weather brings, with its apple crisp air.
The Cornell University media relations office recently tried to temper our enthusiasm, however, firing off an email that stated, "New York leaf peepers can expect an average fall foliage." Excuse me, average? The tragic magic of millions of leaves turning color in death is never less than stunning. But let's hear these academics out.
Taryn Bauerle, associate professor of plant science at Cornell suggested that given the warmer, drier weather this year’s fall foliage could be mildly disappointing.
"I expect this year's fall foliage to be average compared to past years," she said. "The warmer weather and relatively dry season we've had are not ideal for optimal colors." She does offer some hope, adding "However, the forecast looking forward appears to have sunny days and cool nights, which will help to maximize leaf sugar production and keep it locked in the leaf resulting in the potential for more vibrant colors."
Daniel Weitoish, an arborist at Cornell Botanic Gardens, agreed that September's weather will help us reach optimal vibrancy — “With our hot and dry summer, it was looking like an average year at best for fall foliage, but the September forecast is looking great for anthocyanin production, the pigment responsible for red and purple colors. If sunny days and cool nights continue, we should see gorgeous reds and purples in maples, cherries, tupelos, and red oaks."
Your best bet right now will be "areas with higher elevations, like in the Adirondacks and Catskills, [which] tend to have cooler weather so you can expect trees in those areas to turn color first," Bauerle said. "The Finger Lakes region is usually only a few weeks behind, followed by New York City and Long Island."
The official I Love NY foliage map is now being updated, too, thanks to data collected by passionate humans across the state (as opposed to drones, apps, or fancy algorithms).
