Cooler Temps Mean Fall Color Will Soon Return To The Allegheny Highlands

The U.S. Forest Service has released the first week of its 2025 Fall Color Report, and color is creeping closer to West Virginia.

According to the report, forests in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio reported seeing the first signs of fall color on the trees, including the Wayne National Forest, which is near the West Virginia border in the Ohio Valley. However, that fall color is only in very small pockets, and those forests are still almost all green.

West Virginia Division of Forestry director Jeremey Jones said that West Virginia has the perfect conditions for vibrant fall color so far—a warm, wet summer with a snap of cooler temperatures. Whether the fall-like temperatures from late August stick around through September will determine if the color is great or exceptional, according to Jones.

According to the West Virginia Department of Tourism, West Virginia will see the start of fall color at the end of September. Because it was a wetter summer, that color should be near on time, especially compared to the fall color in 2024, which was delayed because of severe drought. The first areas that will see fall color in West Virginia are the Allegheny Highlands, from Preston County down to Greenbrier County.

In Pocahontas County, according to the 2025 WV Fall Foliage Forecast fall color in the northern half of the county is predicted to start in early to mid-October, although color can already be seen popping out in some trees as you cross Cheat Mountain between Durbin and Huttonsville.  In southern Pocahontas, fall color is projected to start in late October to early November.

Virginia’s diverse landscape, from the highest mountains to the Eastern Shore, provides a long fall foliage season, starting earliest in the higher elevations and moving eastward. Generally peak fall foliage is sometime between October 10 and October 31; however, dates can vary from year to year.

In the Allegheny Highlands of Bath and Highland counties, the peak is expected to happen between late September and early October.  You’ll find links to the reports for Virginia and West Virginia with this story at our website, Allegheny Mountain Radio dot org.

Thanks to the WV Division of Forestry and WBOY for the information in this story.

WV Fall Foliage Report – https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/animals-plants/2025-fall-color-report

VA Fall Foliage Report – https://www.virginia.org/plan-your-trip/seasons-and-climate/fall/fall-foliage-report