After classically hot summer with a bit of rain, what’s the forecast for leaf-peeping in Northeast Ohio?
A handy resource is the interactive Fall Foliage Map 2024 at explorefall.com.
Our pleasant autumn weather has been hanging around longer in recent years, and this fall may be another nice one. According to the map, Northeast Ohio should be in its peak foliage time around the last week of October, although you can see fields of goldenrod and other autumn flowers setting the stage already for a nice show.
Here in Ohio and throughout the Midwest should be the best places to see vibrant colors this year compared to the Northeast because of our summer weather conditions, specifically consistent rainfall, according to the AccuWeather website.
All this adds up to a great opportunity to explore our parks and enjoy the scenery. For many of us, we don’t need to travel far beyond our own back yards thanks to an abundance of hardwood trees.
While you’re being dazzled by fall colors, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service offers this handy primer to know what you’re looking at:
- Oaks: red, brown or russet
- Hickories: golden bronze
- Aspen and yellow-poplar: golden yellow
- Dogwood: purplish red
- Beech: light tan
- Sourwood and black tupelo: crimson
The color of maples leaves differ species by species:
- Red maple: brilliant scarlet
- Sugar maple: orange-red
- Black maple: glowing yellow
- Striped maple: almost colorless
