Today is the official start of Maine’s fall foliage season. Maine’s leaf bearing trees will show off their usual colors of yellow, orange and red in the upcoming weeks. The 2017 Fall Foliage Report from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry reports spotty color change in the forest. Northern Maine is reporting less than 30 percent color change with very low, less than 10 percent, leaf drop. This year marks the 58th year the department has been reporting foliage conditions.

Typically, northern Maine (zones 6 and 7) reach peak conditions the last week of September into the first week of October. The rest of the state’s progression of color will start occurring from north to south in mid-October. Coastal Maine typically reaches peak conditions mid-to-late October.

“While Maine did experience a dry summer, our weather going forward determines the foliage outlook. We are still experiencing warm days followed by cool nights, which is what is required to set us up for a glorious season,” according to Gale Ross, Maine’s fall foliage spokesperson.