NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – With the first official day of fall coming up, New Mexicans may start to see some fall colors. What can New Mexicans expect this year?
“We are starting to see some pops of color in the trees in the northern and western mountains of New Mexico, along with the Sacramento Mountains,” Chief Meteorologist Grant Tosterud said. “However, these colors are actually arriving as much as a week earlier than last year.”
This earlier onset could be a result of the hot summer we had in New Mexico. The state experienced the second hottest summer on record (with records going back to 1896). 2011 was the hottest summer on record in New Mexico, and that year leaves began changing around this same time.
Map: These 20 states could see ‘vibrant’ fall colors this year
When to see the best fall colors in New Mexico
Usually, late September and early October is when New Mexicans can expect to see peak colors. However, late October to early November is when the Albuquerque-metro area may start to see leaves change color in the bosque.