ONTARIO: Fall Colour Outlook for Monday, September 25, 2023
/
NOTE: YOU CAN CLICK ON THE MAP TO OPEN A ZOOMABLE IMAGE
Fall has officially arrived in Southern Ontario, marking the Autumn Equinox last Saturday. If you're looking for that perfect fall scenery, Central Ontario is the place to be. The fall foliage here has been changing rapidly in the past week.
Algonquin Park, in particular, is showing off its beauty, with approximately 60% of its leaves transitioning into their vibrant fall colours. They are now entering peak fall colours when the colour change is above 50% and tree coverage is still relatively high at 90%.
For other parts of Central Ontario, like Muskoka and Bancroft, they've reached around 40% in fall colour progression. That's a signal that their peak fall colours are likely just around the corner, usually lasting one to two weeks depending on the weather as the leaves drift to the ground.
The trees in Grey-Bruce and the Ottawa Valley are also starting to show off their autumn colours, with roughly 30% of their leaves beginning their transformation. Meanwhile, Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe are still hanging at around 10% colour change. This slower shift is likely due to the warmer weather earlier this month, but as we settle into more typical fall temperatures, expect those colours to start showing up soon.
Please note: This forecast relies on extrapolating data collected from various parks throughout Southern Ontario. Since some parks do not provide daily updates, we may draw data from adjacent regions to formulate our estimated leaf change predictions. This also means that the data displayed on the map may not exactly match what is occurring in your backyard.
Fall Colour Report by park
| Park Name | Colour Change (%) | Tree Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Algonquin [PEAK] | 60% | 90% |
| Arrowhead | 40% | 90% |
| Awenda | 10% | 100% |
| Balsam Lake | 20% | 90% |
| Bass Lake | 10% | 90% |
| Bon Echo | 20% | 80% |
| Bonnechere | 20% | 90% |
| Bronte Creek | 10% | 90% |
| Charleston Lake | 30% | 80% |
| Darlington | 10% | 100% |
| Driftwood | 20% | 80% |
| Fitzroy | 20% | 90% |
| Forks of the Credit | 10% | 100% |
| Frontenac | 20% | 90% |
| Grundy Lake | 20% | 100% |
| Inverhuron | 30% | 90% |
| Killbear | 10% | 100% |
| Lake St. Peter | 20% | 90% |
| Long Point | 10% | 90% |
| MacGregor Point | 20% | 90% |
| Mark S. Burnham | 20% | 90% |
| McRae Point | 10% | 90% |
| Mikisew | 30% | 90% |
| Mono Cliffs | 10% | 100% |
| Murphys Point | 20% | 90% |
| Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls | 40% | 90% |
| Petroglyphs | 20% | 90% |
| Point Farms | 30% | 10% |
| Port Burwell | 10% | 100% |
| Presqu'ile | 10% | 100% |
| Restoule | 30% | 90% |
| Rideau River | 10% | 90% |
| Rondeau | 10% | 100% |
| Sandbanks | 10% | 100% |
| Sauble Falls | 30% | 90% |
| Sharbot Lake | 20% | 80% |
| Sibbald Point | 20% | 80% |
| Silent Lake | 40% | 90% |
| Silver Lake | 20% | 80% |
| Sturgeon Bay | 20% | 80% |
| The Massasauga | 10% | 90% |
| Turkey Point | 10% | 90% |
| Voyageur | 30% | 90% |
| Wheatley | 10% | 100% |
The ideal time to witness the full glory of fall colours in Southern Ontario is when the colour change percentage reaches its peak, often around 70-90%, and the tree coverage is above 50%.
The peak of fall colours in Southern Ontario typically lasts for about one to two weeks, although the exact duration can vary from year to year depending on weather conditions.
