![]() The thin canopy of small leaves make it look like May! The eastern Kancamagus Highway near Lower Falls in early August, 2022. The lack of rainfall this spring was a major factor, as the fungus that serves as a biological control for this invasive insect doesn’t set up as well in drier years. For the second year in a row, these caterpillars caused significant defoliation in mixed oak forests in the foothills of many New England mountain ranges. The insect formerly known as the gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar) got a new common name this year - the spongy moth - and it seems that the whole species came out to celebrate. Given this, we expect less drought-related impact on fall foliage the farther north and the farther inland you go. Since the start of May, there’s been nearly 10 inches of rain in Concord, New Hampshire, and more than 13 inches in Burlington, Vermont. Severe and extreme drought have developed along coastal New England, but is less impactful inland.īy contrast, in northern New England the drought level is listed as only “abnormally dry,” and the forests are showing better overall health. Without significant snowmelt, soils in southern New England dried quickly in the spring. Deep snow was restricted to the Crown of Maine, the White Mountains, and northern Vermont, and when the calendar flipped to spring, snow remained only in those places. Snowpack was slow to build last winter, and over the course of the season it never really established itself outside northern New England. Drought is being reported across New England, but what matters here is where the drought is and how it developed. The first key ingredient in the development of the fall foliage season is how weather has affected forest health. So, what will this year look like? New England Fall Foliage 2022 | Influences Weather & Climate Overall, though, we know that New England’s weather can be counted on to bring about beautiful fall colors. ![]() How it plays out is a complex phenomenon, with many factors at work (and often in opposition to each other). Sometimes it’s dominated by orange and yellow, sometimes it’s overwhelmingly red the palate can be muted, or super-bright. ![]() ![]() While there’s always a beautiful color show in New England, it may come early one year, and very late the next. Just as weather patterns change from year to year, so does the fall foliage. Mist rises from a New England pond after a night of stargazing. ![]()
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