NYC Autumn Foliage Expected to Be Especially Vibrant This Year

New York City could be heading into an exceptionally vibrant autumn foliage season, according to city parks officials. Benjamin Osbourne, assistant commissioner of forestry and horticulture at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, said that above-average rainfall driven by the El Niño weather pattern is expected to produce a longer and more intense season than usual. Peak color is predicted to arrive mid to late October and last through November, though Osbourne cautioned that an early cold snap could speed up leaf drop. He recommended Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, Inwood Park, Forest Park, and Silver Lake Park as destinations for the best displays. Maple trees are among the first to turn golds and oranges, visible in larger parks such as Prospect Park, Fort Tryon, and Central Park. Sweetgums follow with a fiery mix of scarlet, yellow, purple, and orange, while hickories shift to deep gold. The last trees to turn are golden ginkgos and oaks. Melissa Finley, senior curator of woody plants at the New York Botanical Gardens, highlighted sweetgums as a particular highlight, noting that New York City sits at the northern edge of their range. Because of the urban heat island effect, NYC typically lags behind surrounding regions; the Catskills, about 100 miles north, are already at peak color. New Yorkers looking for an immediate dose of fall scenery can take Metro-North to Cold Spring or Beacon, or board a daily Amtrak service that travels through the Adirondacks along Lake Champlain, with views of Vermont's foliage, before terminating in Montreal.