When do leaves fall?

Across most of the U.S., the leaves come down about two weeks after peak color. That means early to mid-October in the far north and the high Rockies, late October through mid-November across most of the East, and mid to late November in the South and Texas.

How long after peak do the leaves fall?

Leaf drop isn’t a single day. In a typical year, color starts to show about 12 days before peak, the best viewing runs from a couple of days before peak to about a week after, and most of the leaves are down about two weeks after peak. Those are the same estimates behind every destination page on this site, and you can read more about them in how the forecast works.

Even on one hillside, the timing varies. Some trees are bare while others nearby are still at their brightest, and a few hold their leaves into winter. So “leaves down” means most of the canopy has fallen, not every last leaf.

When the leaves come down, region by region

These are the typical dates when most leaves are down at the destinations we track in each region, from the earliest place to the latest. Within each region, the north and the high country go first, and the coast, the cities, and the lower valleys go last.

Dates are typical years, not this year’s reports, and weather can move them by a week or more. For any city or ZIP code, the foliage map shows today’s estimated stage and the outlook for the next five weeks.

Which trees drop first, and which hold on

Different trees let go at different times, which is why a hillside thins out gradually instead of all at once. White ash and black walnut are among the first to drop, often while the maples are still turning. Sugar and red maples fall in the middle of the season, and the oaks, like northern red oak, are among the last, keeping russet leaves after the maples are bare. Norway maple, a common street tree, often stays green into November before it turns yellow and drops.

A few trees break the pattern. Ginkgo turns an even gold and then drops nearly all of its leaves within a few days, a habit explained in why ginkgo drops its leaves at once. Young oaks and beeches often hold their dead, tan leaves all winter and drop them in spring, which is covered in why oaks and beeches keep their leaves. And among the conifers, larches and bald cypress turn color and drop their needles, while most evergreens keep theirs.

What makes leaves fall early or late

Wind and heavy rain. A strong storm at or just after peak can strip a lot of leaves in a day or two, especially once they’re loosened and ready to fall. See what a nor’easter does to fall color.

A hard freeze. A hard freeze before the leaves finish turning can brown them where they hang, and they usually drop soon after.

Drought. Late-summer drought can make leaves turn brown and drop early, before they reach full color.

A warm fall. A long stretch of mild nights tends to push both color and leaf drop later.

Cities. Trees in cities often hold their leaves a little longer than trees in the countryside nearby, because cities stay warmer at night.

Why leaves fall at all

As the days get shorter and the nights cooler, broadleaf trees build a thin layer of cells, called the abscission layer, where each leaf stem meets the twig. It seals the tree off from the leaf, and once it’s finished, a breeze or a little rain is enough to snap the leaf free. Dropping leaves lets broadleaf trees save water and avoid damage from snow and ice through the winter. For the whole story, including where the colors come from, see why leaves change color.

Still leaves on the trees in November

If you’ve missed peak where you live, the season isn’t over everywhere. Near the coast, in the lowlands of the South, and in Texas, the leaves typically hang on well into November. Among the destinations we track, some of the last places where the leaves come down are Yosemite Valley (Nov 11), Portland (Nov 15), Chattanooga (Nov 15), Atlanta (Nov 15), Hot Springs (Nov 16), Cape May (Nov 19), Ocean City (Nov 20), Dallas (Nov 23), and Lost Maples (Nov 25). Where to go this weekend shows the best bets right now.