“Recent cooler weather has accelerated Vermont’s foliage progression as the mountains and hillsides begin to turn red, with hints of yellow and orange.

Thanks to shorter hours of daylight and chilly temperatures over the past few days, the display of bright color is appearing right on schedule at the higher elevations and in some northern valleys. ‘Early color is widespread in the Jay Peak area and forming nicely between Worcester and Morrisville.

Early color is spreading in the Groton State Forest area. Look for early color in the Eden/Belvidere area north along Routes 114 and 105 in Essex County’ says Chief of Forestry Ginger Anderson, following recent aerial surveys of the forest canopy.

Raymond Toolan, forester for Lamoille and Orleans counties, reports early foliage in northern Vermont appears to be on schedule. ‘I just returned from Cambridge after passing through Hyde Park and Johnson. I have also been through Elmore, Morristown and Stowe today. There is plenty of foliage out there and we are still very much in the early stages of color with spots of mostly red showing up in isolated patches mostly at the higher elevations,’ he says. ‘With all this moisture we should be seeing a very nice year for color,’ Toolan adds.

Forester Roy Olsen reports that ‘Route 17 from Bristol through the Appalachian Gap has a few lowland wetland and ravine areas that have begun to approach 30 percent, or at least have some beautifully vibrant, isolated red maples. And the Main Range of the Green Mountains – from the western slopes of Mount Ellen in Lincoln – visible from Route 17 and Jerusalem – has some beautiful contrasts between the changing hardwoods and the dark, needled conifers at higher elevations.’

In the southeastern part of the state, Forester Jon Boutin is observing the first tinge of color on the hilltops and reports that roads are opening rapidly as the recovery from Tropical Storm Irene continues.”

The Fall Foliage season in Vermont is one of the busiest times of the year while visitors flock from all over the world to witness the beautiful changing colors. This year it will be more important than ever to call ahead for reservations and check on Road Conditions before coming.

Parts of our updates are thanks to the USDA Forest Service, the Vermont Department of Tourism, and various “Leaf Peepers” around the state. If you’d like to be on Vermont.com’s “Leaf Squad” to help report the Foliage conditions in your area of Vermont, please contact us!

To view our first-hand reports throughout the state of Vermont, visit our Vermont Fall Foliage Reports.