Adirondacks, Catskills hit near-peak fall foliage this week — and it won’t last long

Leaf-peepers, start your engines: the Adirondacks and Catskills are already bursting with near-peak fall color, just days into the season.

The third fall foliage report from ILOVENY shows near-peak colors in every corner of the state, just days into the official season.

In the Adirondacks, areas such as Lake Pleasant, Benson and Wanakena are projected to reach about 80% color change this weekend. Similar conditions are expected in the Catskills around Henson and Hunter.

Dry weather is partly to thank. With 12 Upstate counties under drought warnings , the lack of rain has sped up the fading of green pigments and pushed leaves toward quicker color changes . Although showers fell earlier this week, they did little to relieve the dry conditions.

Fall foliage is fleeting in any ye