Fall Foliage 2025 Weekly Forecast Maps Show When Colors Will Peak In Hudson Valley

Several predictive maps can take some of the guesswork out of planning fall leaf-peeping tours around the Hudson Valley — or wherever you might decide to travel to see autumn foliage at its most brilliant.

No predictive tool is 100 percent accurate, but it can give leaf peepers a pretty good shot at seeing autumn leaves when they turn their most blazing reds, vibrant orange and sunny yellows.

Weather can have a big effect. Leaves need warm, sunny days, but also crisp but not freezing nights to bring about the most spectacular color show. Both rainfall and drought can also affect its vibrancy, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s predictive map, foliage will begin to change in the Hudson Valley in late September, with the area’s trees at their peak color around mid-October.

The competing Farmers’ Almanac offers a state-by-state guide of peak dates, as well as the top leaf-peeping destinations. It predicts the probable dates for peak fall color in New York state to be between Sept. 28 and Oct. 28.

To use a predictive tool from Explore Fall, click on the state you want to visit, then use the slider tool to determine the best time to visit. It’ll show where travelers are most likely to see “high color” and “peak color,” and when the foliage is past its prime.

It shows the Hudson Valley being in low color in late September, with most of the region being in high to peak color around Oct. 21.

AccuWeather expects fall foliage in the Hudson Valley to be vibrant this fall, with a peak around mid-October.

The Weather Channel predicts the foliage will reach its peak change around mid to late October in the Hudson Valley.

What Causes The Different Colors?

You may remember from science class that the color change all starts with photosynthesis. Leaves constantly churn out chlorophyll — a key component in a plant’s ability to turn sunlight into the glucose it needs to thrive — from spring through early fall. Those cells saturate the leaves, making them appear green to the human eye.

But leaves aren’t green at all. Autumn is the time for leaves’ big reveal: their true color, unveiled as chlorophyll production grinds to a halt. The colors in fall’s breathtaking tapestry are influenced by other compounds, according to the national park’s website.

Beta-carotene, the same pigment that makes carrots orange, reflects the yellow and red light from the sun and gives leaves an orange hue.

The production of anthocyanin, which gives leaves their vivid red color, ramps up in the fall, protecting and prolonging the leaf’s life on a tree throughout autumn.

And those yellows that make you feel as if you’re walking in a ray of sunshine?

They’re produced by flavonol, which is part of the flavonoid protein family. It’s always present in leaves but doesn’t show itself until chlorophyll production begins to slow.

See also:

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