October 2026 general discussion

[WxWatcher007]

1 hour ago, dendrite said:

And yet people are clogging 93N another Columbus Day weekend to see mostly sticks.

They’re a week late

 

28 minutes ago, ineedsnow said:

12z Euro has flakes next weekend  

Signal for elevation flakes is there…

[jlauderdal]

1 hour ago, ineedsnow said:

12z Euro has flakes next weekend  

Bring it, just ordered a new snowblower.

[powderfreak]

It’s felt chilly today despite low-50s.

Something felt different, crisp chill in the shade.  Then I saw dews are in the 20s and I wonder if that’s it.  Think this is the first afternoon with dew points in the 20s up here this season.

[kdxken]

3 hours ago, powderfreak said:

It never fails.  Past peak but peak traffic.

Better to be too early than too late. You can always find some color.

[Baroclinic Zone]

Stone cold stunner of a day. Mid to upper 60s with mostly sunny skies.

[Prismshine Productions]

Premature accumulation?

That's my birthday weekend, I'm hoping. This would be a nice present

Sent from my SM-S176V using Tapatalk

[alex]

4 hours ago, powderfreak said:

It never fails.  Past peak but peak traffic.

at least its peak something lol. I tell people every year - come late September to early October at the latest. Nobody listens lol. We were at 50% occupancy the last weekend of September when it was stunning, and sold out these past 2. 

[powderfreak]

1 hour ago, alex said:

at least its peak something lol. I tell people every year - come late September to early October at the latest. Nobody listens lol. We were at 50% occupancy the last weekend of September when it was stunning, and sold out these past 2. 

It’s the same every year.  The holiday weekend is always too late.

Dont get me wrong, there’s still color in the valleys but even the mountain valleys look like 50% sticks mixed with the left over oranges.  Mountains have that past peak burnt orange look, still something but no where near the fire reds, yellows mixed with green from two weeks ago.

[H2Otown_WX]

1 hour ago, Prismshine Productions said:

That's my birthday weekend, I'm hoping. This would be a nice present

Sent from my SM-S176V using Tapatalk
 

Eastern area posters would retire from this hobby if that verified

[mreaves]

6 hours ago, SouthCoastMA said:

House temp got down to 66° at the lowest point so far this month. we heat off

Yeah, I hit 59° the other day and turned the heat on to 64°

[mreaves]

6 hours ago, dendrite said:

And yet people are clogging 93N another Columbus Day weekend to see mostly sticks.

 

6 hours ago, powderfreak said:

It never fails.  Past peak but peak traffic.

I’m at the sea coast, in the Pope’s hood, and there is still quite a bit of green. 

[CT Valley Snowman]

9 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

It’s the same every year.  The holiday weekend is always too late.

Dont get me wrong, there’s still color in the valleys but even the mountain valleys look like 50% sticks mixed with the left over oranges.  Mountains have that past peak burnt orange look, still something but no where near the fire reds, yellows mixed with green from two weeks ago.

People get locked on that weekend for convenience and I feel like it's sometimes marketed that way for business/tourism.  Also, the foliage reports tend to run behind real conditions with some of their reporting.  Columbus Day is usually more a CNE down to SNE high terrain deal.  Even the highest terrain CNE can be past peak.  

[Damage In Tolland]

If they came to NE or NW CT hills they’d have seen much more color this weekend . About 7 days till peak . Thankfully they don’t 

[powderfreak]

3 minutes ago, CT Valley Snowman said:

People get locked on that weekend for convenience and I feel like it's sometimes marketed that way for business/tourism.  Also, the foliage reports tend to run behind real conditions with some of their reporting.  Columbus Day is usually more a CNE down to SNE high terrain deal.  Even the highest terrain CNE can be past peak.  

Yeah I think it’s a fine foliage weekend with the 3-day weekend… there’s plenty of great foliage in New England, you just gotta go to the right places.

I know the Lake Placid, Stowe/Mad River Valley and Bretton Woods/MWN/Mt Washington Hotel and neighboring notches are often blasted with social media starting like 2-3 weeks ago.  By the time folks see those photos it’s time to go like the next day, not in a couple weeks.  I agree there’s a lag there that throws people off.

If I was going this time of year maybe the Maine coast to like northern SNE or southern CNE (however you want to call it) would be the latitude band most likely to be peaking.

Though to be honest, I have no idea how it is in Lakes Region and Monadnocks over to Berkshires right now.   But if you are seeing good pics from a place two weeks before this weekend, it’s too late by now.  

[Damage In Tolland]

I’ve always wondered why people feel the need to travel to look at foliage . Most of the travelers get foliage in their areas. It’s never made sense to me. Seems like an excuse to go somewhere that is not really necessary . Like why would someone from NJ or CT need to drive to VT to see trees? 

[powderfreak]

14 minutes ago, Damage In Tolland said:

I’ve always wondered why people feel the need to travel to look at foliage . Most of the travelers get foliage in their areas. It’s never made sense to me. Seems like an excuse to go somewhere that is not really necessary . Like why would someone from NJ or CT need to drive to VT to see trees? 

I’ll say it is certainly increasing and foliage traffic seems to be getting worse and worse.

Last weekend and this weekend are Stowe’s busiest of the entire year. Like driving from Exit 10 in Waterbury to Stowe and the general area is almost impossible these weekends.  It jacks up even on I-89 just to get off the exits. The Whites and I-93 seem similar from what I’ve seen.

People go nuts for it… but there are colorful leaves everywhere.  It is interesting to me that there are tons of NNE towns and roads with great foliage, but the people just keep pouring into the same areas.

All that said, the mountain vistas are hard to beat with peak foliage.  It can seem almost like a religious experience when timed right.

[Great Snow 1717]

15 minutes ago, Damage In Tolland said:

I’ve always wondered why people feel the need to travel to look at foliage . Most of the travelers get foliage in their areas. It’s never made sense to me. Seems like an excuse to go somewhere that is not really necessary . Like why would someone from NJ or CT need to drive to VT to see trees? 

To get out of Jersey????

[Great Snow 1717]

46 minutes ago, H2Otown_WX said:

Eastern area posters would retire from this hobby if that verified

I can guarantee that methuen would cease to exist if #15 verified...

[Damage In Tolland]

9 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

I’ll say it is certainly increasing and foliage traffic seems to be getting worse and worse.

Last weekend and this weekend are Stowe’s busiest of the entire year. Like driving from Exit 10 in Waterbury to Stowe and the general area is almost impossible these weekends.  It jacks up even on I-89 just to get off the exits. The Whites and I-93 seem similar from what I’ve seen.

People go nuts for it… but there are colorful leaves everywhere.  It is interesting to me that there are tons of NNE towns and roads with great foliage, but the people just keep pouring into the same areas.

All that said, the mountain vistas are hard to beat with peak foliage.  It can seem almost like a religious experience when timed right.

I get the mountains aspect . But there’s decent hills and smaller mtns in almost every state other than RI

[CT Valley Snowman]

12 minutes ago, Damage In Tolland said:

I get the mountains aspect . But there’s decent hills and smaller mtns in almost every state other than RI

If you're really into it, it is another level of scenery up there, but for me it's not worth the crowds/traffic and the leaves down here are just fine. 

[Damage In Tolland]

1 minute ago, CT Valley Snowman said:

If you're really into it, it is another level of scenery up there, but for me it's not worth the crowds/traffic and the leaves down here are just fine. 

Maybe it’s just a lot of olds that have nothing else to do . I’ve just never understood it when you have the same in your general area 

[powderfreak]

8 minutes ago, Damage In Tolland said:

I get the mountains aspect . But there’s decent hills and smaller mtns in almost every state other than RI

Agreed and that’s what is great about foliage, any rolling topography covered in color is awesome.

Your area of NE CT is top tier, always loved going to the lake in the fall, the quiet corner.  Fields, hills, rock walls, barns, foliage.

[CT Valley Snowman]

19 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

Agreed and that’s what is great about foliage, any rolling topography covered in color is awesome.

Your area of NE CT is top tier, always loved going to the lake in the fall, the quiet corner.  Fields, hills, rock walls, barns, foliage.

Yup, that area and Litchfield County are the best overall, but nice scenery can be found everywhere.  HelI, I just wake up, drink coffee and look at these trees in my backyard and I'm happy.  

[Supernovice]

1 hour ago, Damage In Tolland said:

I’ve always wondered why people feel the need to travel to get beer . Most of the travelers can get beer in their areas. It’s never made sense to me. Seems like an excuse to go somewhere that is not really necessary . Like why would someone from NJ or CT need to drive to VT to buy IPA’s?

[WxWatcher007]

Nice scenery can be found in many places in New England, but yeah, it’s a different experience to travel and see the foliage over vast mountainous landscapes, especially when it’s a generational year.

 

[CT Valley Snowman]

People travel for beautiful scenery and what interests them. Seeing fall foliage in New England is on the bucket list for many people who enjoy traveling. It's become more and more popular.  Most people wouldn't travel to experience exciting weather, but many of us here would because that's what interests us.  

[Brewbeer]

the hospitality of the Vermont folks is superior to the northern Connecticut hills, that's why people go to Vermont

and Connecticut's hill towns look like ass compared to the majestic mountains of northern Vermont

46/46

[dendrite]

34.9° OVC

[bristolri_wx]

11 hours ago, Damage In Tolland said:

I get the mountains aspect . But there’s decent hills and smaller mtns in almost every state other than RI

You're not wrong, but there's a lot more continuous, preserved forest in northern new england than in southern new england.  A lot of the forest in Rhode Island is wild regrowth over abandoned farm land.  I've found the variety and quality of the foliage better in NNE with better viewing points due to elevation - just my opinion.

You are absolutely right that there is great spots to see foliage all over NE though, and you don't need to take a trip up north to find it.

[moneypitmike]

11 hours ago, Damage In Tolland said:

I’ve always wondered why people feel the need to travel to look at foliage . Most of the travelers get foliage in their areas. It’s never made sense to me. Seems like an excuse to go somewhere that is not really necessary . Like why would someone from NJ or CT need to drive to VT to see trees? 

I agree to a point.......that said, the color on sugar maples is so much better than what you get on other trees  While there are some of those through much of New England, the concentration of them in VT/NH really makes those areas hard to beat.