‘Bursts of early autumnal color’ starting in Monongahela National Forest

ELKINS, W.Va. (WBOY) — Deciduous trees in West Virginia are beginning to show the first signs of autumn.

Although the West Virginia Department of Tourism hasn’t released its first Live Leaf Map of the season , according to the U.S. Forest Service, the first signs of leaf color changes are already starting in the Monongahela National Forest.

Week 1 of the Forest Service’s 2024 Eastern Region Fall Color Report says that “just a few of the earliest plant leaves in valleys and low-lying areas are starting to change color.”

West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest and Ohio’s Wayne National Forest, are just starting to show signs of fall color, but “the show really hasn’t started yet,” according to the report. Forests in more northern states like Michigan and Minnesota are showing more fall colors, but the remaining 16 states in the Forest Service’s Eastern Region are still green.

The mid-Atlantic region, which includes West Virginia, might not see as vibrant of colors this year because of drought conditions , according to the Forest Service.

Peak color is expected to start in West Virginia’s higher elevations like the Mon Forest in late September to early October, with lower elevation areas seeing the best color in mid-October to early November.

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