PORTLAND, Maine — It's time to pull the air conditioners out of the windows and let in some crisp, fall air as we welcome in a new season in Maine.
It’s set up to be a better season than last year for leaf peepers in northern New England. Remember the severe drought we had last summer that led into the beginning of the fall season? Experts say that muted the fall colors for Maine and surrounding northern New England states.
After the trees withstood Hurricane Lee, we are about to reap the benefits of wonderful fall colors. The forecast calls for dry weather for the next 10 days and that will help with the record-setting summer rainfall.
In this report, I will show you the current foliage map for Maine as well as contributing foliage factors. I’ll also show the annual peak foliage map so you can plan your trip accordingly. Lastly, I’ll describe the first snow of the season if you’ve got winter on your mind.
We can’t talk about the fall season without talking about the Autumnal Equinox first. That happened at 2:50 this morning while you were sleeping. The sun’s rays were directly over the equator and it’s a day of close to equal daylight and night, about 12 hours and 8 minutes.
Planning a trip for peak colors is simple, start in the western and northern mountains by late September. Head down south from the North Woods into the foothills by early October all the way Down East. Cruise up and down Route 1 and the coastline in mid-to- late October for the most vibrant colors near the water.
As of the current foliage report, only the North Woods and part of The County are seeing low color and low leaf drop.
You will have to head north into the mountains to see colors and some leaves dropping at this time. Hopefully, there is some pumpkin pie waiting for you at grandma's house.
But that’s about to change with a special stretch of weather coming up to close out September. After record-setting rainfall and a glancing blow from Hurricane Lee, we could have lost a lot of leaves, but the trees held their ground. It’s great news with more than one week of perfect fall weather coming.
If you’ve got snow on your mind, I can tell you that we still have several weeks before the average first inch of snow. So, get out to the pumpkin patches and do some apple picking while you still can.
Break out your fleeces, sweaters, and light jackets, but keep the umbrellas at home for a change. No rain is expected with high pressure in control for at least a week.
However, as we turn the page into October, a loss of 21 minutes of daylight is coming this week. I hope you enjoy the beginning of fall. I plan on doing another foliage report soon so check my social media for updates.
