Fall has officially begun , and with it comes the arrival of fall foliage earlier than normal in some parts of the U.S.

According to experts, the most fall foliage will be visible in mid-October , or the second or third week.

But in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic parts of the U.S., leaves have begun changing weeks ahead of schedule from green to red, yellow, orange, and in some cases, purple. The change is largely due to weather, according to AccuWeather meteorologists .

This early arrival of fall foliage in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic parts of the U.S. is a result of drought, pests, disease and cooler, dry conditions that are causing stress for the trees, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Paul Pastelok said in a Sept. 22 report.

The point at which fall foliage reaches its peak

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