Leaf peeping season is reaching its climax this week with much of Upstate New York at peak colors this weekend. However, there are still plenty of places to find some of this year’s autumn hues around the state.
I LOVE NY, the state’s tourism website, has released their weekly foliage report map for the fifth time this season. Volunteer observers have said most of the Adirondack State Park and the Catskill Mountains are past their peak points.
Thanks to a hot, dry summer in Upstate NY, leaves this year are changing faster than usual this fall, but with more brilliant colors.
The Finger Lakes will be near-peak this weekend with colors of very brilliant yellow, gold, copper, red, burgundy, and orange leaves. You will also find Buffalo and the Greater Niagara area to be nearing the peak spectrum of fall colors like bright and beautiful gold, red, orange, and purple leaves.
Here are the color change predictions around Upstate New York for the week of Oct. 7-13, 2020:
Adirondacks
- Lake Placid, 100 percent
- Whiteface Mountain, past peak
- Saranac Lake, 90-95 percent
- Tupper Lake and Mt. Arab, 90 percent
- Malone, past peak
- Old Forge, 100 percent
- Lake Pleasant, 100 percent
- Newcomb, past peak
- Queensbury, 75 percent
- Plattsburgh, 70 percent
- Lake George, 60-65 percent
- Crown Point and Ticonderoga, 75-95 percent
- Thurman, Hague, Johnsburg, and Chester, 80 percent
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Capital-Saratoga
- Fulton County, 75-100 percent
- Albany County, 90 percent
- Rensselaer and Troy, 80 percent
- Thacher State Park, 70 percent
- Cohoes Falls, 50 percent
- Saratoga Springs, 65 percent
- Greenwich, 65 percent
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Catskills
- Delaware County, 100 percent-past peak
- Greene County, 100 percent
- Catskill, 95 percent
- Sullivan County, 70 percent
- Delhi and Bovina, 95 percent
- Forestburgh, 70 percent
- Ulster County, 65 percent
Chautauqua-Allegheny
- Cattaraugus County, 75 percent
- Salamanca, 100 percent-past peak
- Machias, 95 percent
- Chautauqua County, over 50 percent
Greater Niagara
- Wyoming County, 75 percent
- Springville, 70 percent
- East Aurora, 75 percent
- Niagara Falls, 40 percent
- Genesee County, 60 percent
- Lewiston, 50 percent
- Orleans County, 45 percent
- Buffalo, 100 percent
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Central New York
- Onondaga County, 55 percent
- Oswego County, 70-80 percent
- Otsego County, 75 percent
- Oneida County, 50 percent
- Chenango County, 85 percent
- Madison County, 50 percent
- Montgomery County, 75 percent
- Broome County, 70 percent
- Schoharie County, 90 percent
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Thousand Islands-Seaway region
- Jefferson County, 95 percent
- St. Lawrence County, 95 percent
- Watertown, 65 percent
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Finger Lakes
- Chemung County, 75 percent
- Cayuga County, 60 percent
- Cortland County, 75 percent
- Tioga County, 60 percent
- Livingston County, 55 percent
- Monroe County, 50-55 percent
- Ontario County, 50-75 percent
- Schuyler County, 55 percent
- Seneca County, 65 percent
- Steuben County, 80 percent
- Tompkins County, 75 percent
- Wayne County, 60 percent
- Yates County, 50 percent
Hudson Valley
- Columbia County, 60 percent
- Ulster County, 65 percent
- Dutchess County, 60 percent
- Orange County, 20-35 percent
- Rockland County, 40-45 percent
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