With fall just around the corner, officials say now is the time to start preparing for leaf peeping season.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection predicts a great show this season.

Chris Martin, the agency's director of forestry, says the wet summer and overnight temperatures during the last half of September and into October play a key role in how vibrant leaf colors will be.

Martin says the foliage season will last weeks because of varied elevations and that the variations of color will begin to come into view around Columbus Day weekend.

He says that 25% of the state's tourism is fall foliage.

"So, first off, Connecticut is very convenient. We're near New York City where there are a lot of people that love to go outdoors. We have state parks and forests all throughout Connecticut. I don't think you can drive more than 15 minutes and without passing through one or passing by one. We offer everything else northern New England does. Our advantage that is we have a greater diversity of hardwood trees here. That really guarantees us almost every year a really great color," Martin says.

The state has created an interactive foliage map to inform people where peak colors can be found from week to week along suggested driving tours.