Peep🐷ers keep your eyes peeled: Leaf-viewing season is༒ underway, with fall hues arriving — albeit a bit late — in the the Catskills and Adirondacks.
Fall colors across the state are expected to be delayed one or two weeks by a slightly warmer season, accordinꦐg to Weather Channel meteorologist Jonathan Belles.
“The higher elevation points are usually a little cooler, so they peak quicker,” Be🐻lles said. “The Catskills and Adirondack🧔s are typically first, followed by the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley region.”
New York City leaves are scheduled to be at their brighte𒊎st in early Novembe꧒r, according to the Weather Channel.
Most🌺 counties are now seeing color changes in about 10 to 15% of leaves, the state’s tourism agency, I LOVE NY, .
By the end of the weekend, trees in Sullivan County in the Catskills are expected to show a 15 to 20% change — more than any other area — “with some touches of yelloꦑw and orange beginning to emerge,” the tourism agency reported.
New York’s wet summer weather bo♌des well for a spectacular fall, Belles said — unlike last year when a drought caused leaves to fall before bold hues developed.
“I think it will be a good year for color,” he said. “There was no big drought that would turn everything brown immediat🧜ely and cause the leaves to fall off.
“How bright the colors are depends a lot on 💞how dry the ground is. New York is pretty well-set this year in terms of rainfall.”
Vibrant shades thrive when sunlight is limited, causing leaves to lose the sunlight-induc🌟ed chlorophyll that turns them green, B✅elles explained.
That’s why leaves begin to turn when tꩵhe Earth’s Northern Hemisphere faces away from th𒆙e sun as winter sets in.
Across the country, warmer-than-average September temper💝atures are expected to delay peak fall foliage. September temps in NYC are expe🔯cted to be at least 50% above average.