Beautiful fall foliage is beginning to pop out in several corners of New York State, with some significant early color changes expected in the higher elevations of the Adirondacks and Catskills, according to field reports from volunteer observers for the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.

Leaf spotters in Old Forge are predicting at least 30% foliage change with muted shades of yellow and burgundy, along with some early reds.

After some early color, leaf change has become more gradual, with shades of rust and dark red emerging. Those out and about in northern Oneida, Herkimer and Hamilton counties may see some brilliant pops of reds and deep reds along the area’s waterways.

In Hamilton County, Long Lake spotters expect 30% foliage change with touches of orange and purple, along with muted reds. Reporters from Lake Pleasant are predicting 20% foliage change, with average to bright shades of yellow and orange starting to pop.

Further north, in the Mount Arab and Tupper Lake areas, observers note that color change there is under way with vigor and intensity, with as much as 35-40% leaf transition expected this weekend, and featuring fantastic hues of rhubarb, cerise, maize, saffron, russet, and tangerine. Spotters in Saranac Lake expect 25-30% color change with muted hues of yellow and red emerging.

Spotters in Utica are predicting 20% foliage change with average to bright shades of yellow, red, and orange. Just down Route 5S, spotters in Mohawk predict 10% color change and shades of rust, red, and yellow.

Otsego County foliage spotters in Cooperstown predict about 10% color change and mostly muted yellow leaves while Schoharie County spotters in Sharon Springs spotters are also expecting at least 10% transition with subdued shades of red and some green-yellow leaves.

Reports from Onondaga Lake predict up to 10% color change this weekend, with some average shades of red and yellow beginning to appear. Several areas are expecting 5% or less transition, including the City of Syracuse, and the Cayuga County communities of Auburn and Fair Haven. Cortland County spotters in downtown Cortland report 5% change, with some muted fall shades emerging. While leaves are beginning to emerge at Buttermilk Falls State Park and Taughannock Falls State Park.

Volunteer spotters

The I LOVE NY team of volunteer foliage spotters, located throughout the state’s 11 vacation regions, are tasked with keeping track of the color change in their area as leaves progress each week. Their reports are posted online each week, featuring a detailed map of color change throughout New York State, vantage points for viewing spectacular foliage and suggested autumn getaways. See the latest full fall foliage report at https://www.iloveny.com/things-to-do/fall/foliage-report/.