Fall foliage in Wisconsin

Wisconsin runs north to south over about two and a half weeks. The Northwoods around the Chequamegon-Nicolet and the Apostle Islands lead in the second week of October; the Driftless Area around the Kickapoo Valley follows in the third week; Door County, the lakeshore and the southern hills around Devil’s Lake finish at the end of the month. Sugar maple, birch and aspen color the north; oaks and hickories carry the south. Door County runs a few days behind the mainland because of the lake.

Those are the months when color is present somewhere in Wisconsin, from its highest ground to its lowest. Any one location changes over a much shorter period than that.

Why the timing shifts from year to year

Shortening days start the process, so most places in Wisconsin change at close to their usual time each year. Within the state, elevation and latitude account for most of the difference: higher and more northern ground generally changes first, and lower, sheltered ground last. Weather has more effect on how strong the color is than on when it appears. Cool nights and sunny days favor the reds, a dry summer mutes them, and a hard freeze or a windstorm can strip a slope in a day. What determines the timing goes through this in detail.

Nearby states

Fall color does not follow state lines. Wisconsin borders:

• Illinois fall foliage
• Iowa fall foliage
• Michigan fall foliage
• Minnesota fall foliage

Timing for a specific place

This page describes a whole state, which is about as precise as a season can be described in words. Conditions at one overlook on one weekend are a narrower question, and that is the one Fallcast answers: an expected period of color for a specific location, with a confidence attached, updated through the season as the trees change. It is coming to iPhone this fall.

Questions, or somewhere in Wisconsin you would like covered? Write to fallcastapp@gmail.com.