Pockets of vibrant colors are hitting flocks of foliage in Chicago and its neighboring areas as fall comfortably settles in.
According to Smoky Mountains' 2022 Fall Foliage Map, which tracks and predicts when leaves are expected to change colors across the country, Chicago's rich, autumnal hues are inching closer to their prime.
Fall foliage should peak late October in the area, and the biggest changes are expected to strike between Oct. 14-24, according to the map.
But leaf-peepers, keep your eyes peeled. The golden colors won't last long, as they will start to fade in just a week, waning out by the time Halloween rolls around.
At The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, fall colors have been progressively appearing and changing with brisk temperatures chilling the air.
"In the tree collections, yellow color is showing in hackberries, corktrees, coffeetrees, hickories, walnuts, cottonwoods, elms and catalpas," the arboretum noted. "The arboretum’s few remaining white ash trees are purple. Acorns and walnuts are dropping. Look for red sumacs and the occasional Virginia creeper or poison-ivy vine in sunny areas."
When Might Illinois See Fall Foliage Peak?
As for the rest of the state, the colors are expected to change a bit later. According to the map, much of Illinois isn't predicted to see colors near their peak until Oct. 17, when the vibrant hues are on their way out of the Chicago-area.
By Oct. 24, some areas will see perfectly peaked colors, while other areas will be past.
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By Halloween, the leaves will have already changed in the northern park of the state, while the southern will still look golden.
Though the science of predicting fall leaf color changes is inexact, there are several factors that could lead to a later-than-usual fall peak in the state. That includes a drier-than-normal stretch of weather, as well as a warmer-than-normal start to fall, which was predicted by the National Weather Service.
According to the Enjoy Illinois, some of the best locations in the state to see the fall foliage include Starved Rock State Park, Forest Preserves of Winnebago County and Millennium Park in Chicago.
Farmer's Almanac named Pere Marquette State Park in west central Illinois as the eighth best place in the U.S. to check out fall foliage.
As a self-described "nature-lover's paradise," the park will offer sights of the turning leaves against a backdrop of wooded ravines and roadways alongside the Illinois River. Explorers also can take advantage of the land's towering bluffs, which will provide a panoramic view of the lush scenery that engulfs the park's 12-mile trail.
