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Here's when fall foliage season is expected to arrive in New England
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It’s primary election day in Massachusetts. Hope you’re rested from the holiday weekend and ready to vote! There’s a Republican primary to take on Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic proxy battle over a Boston-area clerkship and over 30 State House races at stake today.
You can look up your polling place here and find everything else you need to know today in our primary election breakdown. Remember, polls are open until 8 p.m.
Now, to the news:
Season’s a-changing: This Labor Day weekend marked the unofficial end to summer and the start of meteorological fall. (The cool, dry air that wooshed down yesterday feels like Exhibit A.) But according to local foliage experts, it’ll be a few more weeks before the trees change into their autumn wardrobe. That’s thanks to the rainy summer we’ve had here in New England, photographer and leaf fanatic Jeff Folger told WBUR’s Amy Sokolow.
- The elements at play: Moisture from the rain has led to fewer dry patches across the state. That means trees are well hydrated and there’s a good chance we’ll get lots of color. “Happy trees tend to hold their leaves longer,” Folger said.
- When to go leaf-peeping: It won’t be until autumn proper (i.e., after Sept. 22) that the leaves begin to turn. “I’ve never really found a whole lot of color mid-September,” says Folger. “So a lot of times I tell people that the earliest you should probably go out is maybe the 25th of September.” Leaf-peepers in Boston can expect the most vibrant colors around mid-to-late October, he added.
- After that: If you’re the type that likes to skip straight to Christmas, the Old Farmer’s Almanac says you can expect a mild winter that doesn’t really ramp up until after Thanksgiving. “The forecast calls for a long fall season this year,” Carol Connare, the almanac’s editor in chief, told Amy. “Our models tell us that we’ll have a few chilly Arctic blasts more like mid-December.” (But take the forecast with a grain of road salt. Last year, the Almanac’s seasonal calls for a snowy New England winter did not age well, and their prediction record overall hasn’t been the best.)
North of the border: Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting New Hampshire tomorrow to hold a campaign event in the Portsmouth area. It’ll be her first appearance in the Granite State since becoming the Democratic nominee for president.
- Zoom in: Republicans had gotten hopeful about winning New Hampshire for the first time 20 years after the debate between President Biden and Donald Trump. However, a poll last month by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center showed Harris leading the former president by 7%. The Boston Globe also reported Monday that some inside the Trump campaign are warning New Hampshire is “no longer a battleground state.”
- Zoom out: Here are five things to keep in mind during the post-Labor Day campaign sprint to November.
Can you stand the rain: Climate change has led to more frequent, heavy rainstorms in Massachusetts — and stormwater drainage pipes known as culverts haven’t been able to handle the consistent barrage. To solve the problem, the state is giving cities and towns more than $2 million this year to upgrade the pipes through 2025.
- For the last four years, the state has awarded annual grants to municipalities looking to replace their culverts. The pipes, which run underground, are too small to handle the heavy rain that’s come with climate change, WBUR’s Barb Moran reports. Massachusetts Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea says that can lead to flooding, pollution and other adverse impacts. “Culverts can cause complete road failure in certain storms,” O’Shea told Barb. “They’re also blocking fish and other aquatic species from moving up and down the landscape.”
- Where the cash is going: Fourteen towns will receive funds from the program this year, including Billerica, Warren and Westborough. Read the full list of communities here.
Court proceedings begin in Boston today for Kevin Kangethe, the man accused of killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in a car at Logan Airport. Prosecutors say Kangethe stabbed 31-year-old Margaret Mbitu to death before fleeing to Kenya last October.
- Kangethe was extradited this weekend from Kenya, where he had been arrested in January — and then escaped police custody — before being arrested again. He faces murder charges at Suffolk Superior Court.
P.S.— Speaking of the changing of the seasons, CitySpace is out with an eclectic fall events lineup. It features celebrities, NPR journalists, food, concerts, Kai Ryssdal(!) and even some sports. Check out the full schedule here to lock down your seat ahead of time.
