Fall foliage season is approaching across the United States, with the first peak colors expected to arrive in some high elevation regions within weeks. A new 2026 outlook from Direct Weather looks at when different parts of the country could reach peak fall color and whether this year’s temperatures could shift the timing earlier or later than average.
As always, elevation and regional temperatures will play major roles in determining when autumn colors reach their peak.
The Mountains and Pacific Northwest
The first areas to reach peak fall foliage are typically high elevation locations in the West and Northeast. Parts of the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky Mountains could see peak color during the final weeks of September.
Direct Weather expects warmer than normal temperatures in parts of the Northwest and northern Rockies this fall, which could delay peak foliage by around one or two weeks in some locations.
By early October, more of the Pacific Northwest, Sierra Nevada, Rockies, northern Great Lakes, and upper Midwest are expected to reach their seasonal peak.
Midwest and Northeast
The middle of October is traditionally one of the busiest periods for leaf peeping across the country. Much of the Midwest, northern Plains, interior Mid Atlantic, and Northeast typically reach peak fall foliage between October 10th and October 20th.
Higher elevations in the Adirondacks, Green Mountains, White Mountains, and parts of Maine could see peak color even earlier.
The outlook suggests that cooler conditions across portions of the eastern United States could lead to earlier than average foliage. Parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast could potentially see peak color arrive one or two weeks ahead of normal depending on temperatures during September and October.
The South and Gulf Coast
Fall foliage arrives much later across the South. Inland areas of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma generally begin reaching their peak during early November.
By mid November, peak foliage typically expands across additional portions of Texas and the Deep South. Some Gulf Coast areas, southern Georgia, northern Florida, and coastal South Carolina may not reach their peak until late November.
Some of the far southern regions could see foliage later into the season, with December color possible in portions of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.
