Fall is the best time of the year for some of us. Western parts of Virginia and Maryland are already awash in vibrant colors, but the states’ forestry officials said this year, with a hotter than average summer, it’s been particularly difficult to predict the color change in foliage.
“We really thought it was going to be early because so many trees were stressed out and starting to color very early, like in September,” said Ellen Powell, conservation education coordinator at the Virginia Department of Forestry. “But it seems that things sort of just ground to a halt and stayed where they were for a while, and at this point, we’re not very far off the average timing.”
Powell said in Virginia, areas bordering West Virginia and in the state’s southwest are experiencing peak foliage conditions.
However, she warned, some towns and roads in the southwest are still recovering from Hurricane Helene. The iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, a popular road trip destination in the fall, is still closed in stretches of Virginia and all of North Carolina.
In central and Northern Virginia, things move a bit slower.
“If you ride around right now and you see broad-leaved trees that are still green as they can be, those are probably oaks, and they will change later in the season,” Powell explained. “So probably into the first week of November, those will start really developing their color, and they have these beautiful tones of amber and garnet.”
Maryland’s Forest Service has posted a helpful foliage map on its Facebook page.
Allegany, Washington and Frederick counties are all experiencing optimal leaf-peeping conditions.
Dan Coy, urban and community forestry program manager with Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, recommended not avoiding the areas that are past peak.
“I love seeing the browns in with the oranges and reds and yellows. So just because you’re seeing past peak, in my personal opinion, it’s still a good place to go,” said Coy. “Where we’re showing past peak right now is Garrett County.”
He said the drier days ahead may slow down the leaf senescence processes in other parts of the state, including in areas closer to D.C. and Baltimore, adding, “I’m curious to see if the warmer weather speeds them up and kind of outcompetes the dryness.”
Coy predicts it may be another week or two for the D.C. and Baltimore regions to achieve their most dramatic colors. But he admits that foliage forecasting is a fickle thing.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
