As September gets closer, fall is almost here in New England, meaning soon, New Hampshire will be covered in the bright reds and yellows that make the season so beautiful.
Typically, leaves start to change color in September and continue to evolve through November. However, the exact timing of fall colors depends on various factors, including location and weather.
Wondering when and where you can catch peak fall foliage in New Hampshire this year? Here is a look at the Smoky Mountains website’s fall foliage forecast for New Hampshire, broken down by weekly maps:
New Hampshire fall colors: Week of Sept. 9
This map shows a prediction of fall foliage colors across the country during the week of Sept. 9, 2025.
According to the Smoky Mountains website, New Hampshire will start to see minimal color changes during the week of Sept. 9, with some patchy fall foliage in the northern part of the state.
New Hampshire fall colors: Week of Sept. 16
This map shows a prediction of fall foliage colors across the country during the week of Sept. 16, 2025.
By mid-September, the entire state will be covered in patchy fall foliage, with the northern and southwest corners seeing partial full colors.
New Hampshire fall colors: Week of Sept. 23
This map shows a prediction of fall foliage colors across the country during the week of Sept. 23, 2025.
Partial fall foliage will cover all of New Hampshire during the last full week of September, with some areas starting to near their peak colors.
Fall weather: Will it be a hot fall in New Hampshire, Maine? What the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts
New Hampshire fall colors: Week of Sept. 30
This map shows a prediction of fall foliage colors across the country during the week of Sept. 30, 2025.
As October begins, New Hampshire will burst into color. Some parts of the state will start to peak, while the rest will be covered in beautiful autumn hues nearing their most vibrant versions.
New Hampshire fall colors: Week of Oct. 7
This map shows a prediction of fall foliage colors across the country during the week of Oct. 7, 2025.
The Smoky Mountains website predicts that much of New Hampshire will reach peak foliage during the week of Oct. 7, with colors in small regions bordering Maine in the northeast and Vermont in the southwest beginning to calm down.
New Hampshire fall colors: Week of Oct. 14
This map shows a prediction of fall foliage colors across the country during the week of Oct. 14, 2025.
By the week of Oct. 14, foliage in New Hampshire and most of New England will have passed its peak. Leaves can be expected to be duller and darker in color, with many falling to the ground.
More: If you want to peep autumn leaves, Kennebunkport ME is the place to do, Condé Nast says
Why do leaves change color in the fall?
As plants receive less and less sunlight in the shortened days of fall, the production of chlorophyll, a substance which makes the leaves appear green by saturating them through turning sunlight into glucose, slows down. Without chlorophyll, the “true” color of leaves comes through, according to the Smoky Mountains website.
Changed leaves then begin to fall off their trees as the trees close off their veins in preparation for protection in winter, meaning the leaves no longer receive nutrients and therefore weaken at the stem.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: New Hampshire fall foliage 2025: See week-by-week forecast maps
