These maps show when the fall colors are at their best in New England

Fall is almost here in New England and that means beautiful leaf color is on the way.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, leaves can change color as early as mid-September to early November. However, the exact timing of fall color and its intensity depend on the location and weather of the year.

Many weather factors can affect fall colors, including drought, precipitation, and warmer temperatures. The Climate Prediction Center predicts a warmer-than-average fall for most of the U.S., which may reduce the intensity of fall colors, but the Old Farmer's Almanac still predicts a great fall foliage year for New England.

And they're not the only ones. Here's a look at two other important predictions.

Where and when the leaves are expected to change color

Here's a breakdown of projected foliage color changes in 2024 across the U.S., according to maps from the Smoky Mountains website:

As shown in these maps, the brilliant fall colors that make the New England region so popular are expected to peak the week of October 7. The region's colorful foliage displays attract about ten million leaf peepers each year.

Here's a map from AccuWeather showing the best months for fall colors across the country:

As in the Smoky Mountains, AccuWeather predicts the best month for foliage in New England will be October, with most regions peaking in early or mid-month. According to this map, the northern corners of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could peak earlier, in late September, while Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts will peak later in October.

More: Visit these six parks and trails in Eastern Massachusetts to admire the magnificent foliage this fall

How leaves change color in autumn

As plants receive less and less sunlight during the shorter days of fall, the production of chlorophyll, a substance that makes leaves appear green by saturating them by converting sunlight into glucose, slows down. Without chlorophyll, the leaves' “true” color comes out, according to the Smoky Mountains website.

Then the changed leaves begin to fall from the branches as the trees close off their leaf veins to protect themselves during the winter. This means that the leaves no longer receive nutrients and become weaker on the trunk.

SOURCE: The National Forest Service, SmokyMountains.com, ExploreFall.com

USA Today's Doyle Rice and Janet Loehrke contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared in the Patriot Ledger: Fall foliage in New England 2024: Maps show when and where the colors are at their strongest