DES MOINES, Iowa —

More leaves are finally changing color across Iowa as October gets underway.

According to the Iowa DNR, fall colors were still very spotty in central Iowa at the beginning of this week, with only 10-15 percent of trees showing color so far.

Hearst Owned Fall foliage as of October 3. Data courtesy of Explore Fall.

The agency's first fall color report of 2025 estimates peak viewing will occur from mid-to-late October in most of the state.

Hearst Owned DNR Fall Color Report as of October 1.

You can read the full report here .

Lots of recent warmth

As we talked about in early September , the weather affects how leaves change during autumn.

In general, sunny days and cool nights are best for accelerating color change and producing vibrant fall displays.

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