NJ’s fall foliage forecast looks to be a promising one

🍂 New Jersey could be in for a vibrant fall foliage season, with experts seeing better conditions than last year.

🌞 Sunny days, mild temperatures and cool nights could help produce the bright reds, oranges and yellows leaf peepers love.

📅 Peak color could begin around Oct. 20 in North Jersey before moving south, reaching South Jersey in early November.

Today is the first day of autumn and it looks like New Jersey is in for a bright and vibrant fall foliage season.

For bright and vibrant leaf colors, the state needs sunny, slightly warm days, and cool clear nights, said Jason Grabosky, ecology professor at the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, in New Brunswick.

ALSO READ: Ultra popular game "Dandy's World" coming to American Dream

Fall foliage in New Jersey (Jason Grabosky)

Some rain is okay, but heavy rains could knock the leaves off the trees, and that would not be good, he said.

Grabosky said he’s optimistic that New Jersey will have a bright and colorful fall foliage season for all leaf peepers to enjoy, because the state, in his opinion, is in a better position than last year.

“We’ve had had a rough year. There’s been some ups and downs, hot days, cold days, but I’m seeing a slightly better foliage condition than last year, and we’re set up to have a fantastic fall color season as long as the weather holds,” Grabosky said.

Three things New Jersey trees need for fall foliage

There are three key elements to lead to a healthy fall foliage season, he added.

One is daylength. That’s pretty uniform across the state. That’s when the plants get the signal to go toward their fall and winter rest.

That gives you the daylight, but then there’s also heat and soil to consider.

Depending on where the trees are in the state, there are different soils, different temperature profiles and different weather patterns that run from the Ridge and Valley regions and the Highlands in northern and northwest New Jersey, cascading through the Piedmont of Central New Jersey, and then moving through the inner and outer coastal plains of Southern New Jersey.

As the soil and systems change, the tree species change. While they all follow the same daylength cue, they all also respond differently, Grabosky explained.

When will fall foliage peak in New Jersey?

With that mind, Grabosky estimated that the start of peak fall foliage season should be around Oct. 20 in the northern part of the state.

From there, it’s a three-week progression, barring any wild weather, meaning the red, yellow, and orange colors will cascade and move down and through the different forest types and species until they reach the coastal plains of South Jersey between Nov 6 and 10.

The colors will be influenced by the trees in the forest, Grabosky said.

In the southeastern part of the state, the reds and yellows will come from different species of oaks, while clear yellows will come from Populus trees in the northwest part of the state as well as reds and oranges from maples, and other reds and yellows from oaks and aspens, he added.

Where to see the best fall foliage in New Jersey

So, where can you see the best, and most colorful leaves in New Jersey?

Grabosky is a big believer in just going outside, taking a walk in the neighborhood, and you’ll be greeted with beautiful bursts of color.

But, if leaf peepers are looking to take a day trip to check out the fall foliage, he suggests going up the Delaware River Valley, then the Delaware Water Gap area, and cut over to High Point.

“I think that would be a really nice day trip where you get a lot of different colors, and a lot of things represented, and being near the river, you’re going to have, probably some of your best foliage because you’re closer to that fresh water source,” Grabosky said.

Last year, there was a lot of beat-up, heat-stressed foliage, which led to early leaf drop due to the harsh heatwaves.

“But this year, things are looking really good, stuff is cooking along quite nicely. As long as we have a weather pattern like this, where oscillating rather mild and cool with sunny days, we’re doing really well,” Grabosky predicted.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom

NJ Fall Fun Means Sunflowers, Corn Mazes and Pumpkins

Once the calendar turns to September, a strong crop of New Jersey spots start their fall fun early.

For any location listed below, call ahead, as operation times may vary and are weather permitting. It’s also good to have cash on-hand, as some activities may not take cards or cashless payments.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt