Fall foliage in Vermont: when is the weather right?
Every autumn the hills of Vermont turn red, orange and gold. How bright they get depends on the weather: sunny days and cool – but not freezing – nights bring out the most vivid reds, while storms can strip the trees early. Around Stowe the colours usually peak in early October, when days reach about 14 °C and nights fall to about 5 °C.
How likely is the right weather?
The share of days that stay dry (less than 1 mm of rain), per month. Tap a month to see its numbers.
- poor
- fair
- good
- excellent
- The moment's season
October at a glance
Your odds of dry weather
56 % chance that a given day in October stays dry
Chance of at least one dry day: 96 %
On average 2.2 of 4 days stay dry.
A guide from long-term averages, not a forecast. Days are counted as independent; weather comes in spells, so the real odds are somewhat lower.
Following the colours
The colours start on the mountaintops and in the north in late September, then move south and down into the valleys over three to four weeks. If you miss the peak around Stowe, southern Vermont and the Berkshires in Massachusetts are often a week or so behind.
Dry days for the drive
Scenic roads such as Route 100 and Smugglers' Notch are at their best in the sun. In October, about 56 % of days stay dry; with 4 days you can expect about 2.2 dry ones, and the sun shines for about 4.2 hours a day.
Autumn colours elsewhere
The share of dry days in the peak month around Stowe and at other places famous for their autumn colours.
- 77 %
- 74 %
- 62 %
- 56 %
- 45 %
Quick answers
When is peak foliage in Vermont?
In the north and in the mountains, usually in late September and early October; in southern Vermont a week or two later. The timing varies from year to year.
What is the weather like in Vermont in October?
Crisp: around Stowe about 14 °C by day and 5 °C at night on average. About 56 % of days stay dry.
Does rain ruin the foliage?
A grey day dulls the colours, and strong wind or heavy rain can bring the leaves down early. A sunny autumn with cool nights gives the brightest reds.
How the numbers are worked out
All values are long-term averages for 1996–2025: rain days count 1 mm or more of precipitation, snow days 1 cm or more of fresh snow. The snow chance is the one on our destination pages. Clear sky is 100 % minus the mean cloud cover. Sunrise, sunset and darkness are calculated for the 15th of each month. The weather on a given day can be very different; check the forecast before you go.
Climate averages 1996–2025 (sunshine partly WMO station normals 1991–2020), not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
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