Autumn brings a spectacular display of colors to Michigan, capturing the attention of leaf peepers with vibrant reds, golds, and oranges visible across both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.
Captured vividly by satellite imagery, these colors mark a dramatic seasonal change, highlighted by the diverse tree species across the region. As chlorophyll production ceases, the bright pigments paint a brief but striking landscape tableau, soon to be replaced by the stark whites of winter.
Autumn’s Colorful Display
Each autumn, crowds of leaf peepers flock to New England to admire its famous fall colors in hues of gold, red, and orange. But other states, like Michigan, also offer a stunning seasonal display.
In Michigan’s Lower Peninsula—known as “the mitten” for its shape—the northern region bursts into vivid reds and oranges from maple trees, while aspens and larches contribute splashes of yellow. The Upper Peninsula, shown under a light cover of clouds in this satellite image, displays similar colors. Further south, the forests add tree species like sassafras, hickory, and black gum, which bring additional warm tones to the landscape. Evergreen conifers across the state create a constant green backdrop that highlights Michigan’s changing autumn colors.
Timing and Variation of Fall Colors
The timing of Michigan’s autumn color can vary from year to year and by location, but color usually starts to show up by mid to late September and persists in places through late October. This image, acquired by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-20 satellite, shows the region on October 19, 2024.
Some foliage maps indicated that around the time of this image, northern parts of the state—especially along the coast of Lake Michigan near places such as Petoskey and Traverse City—should have been at or near peak color. Meanwhile, large portions of the state, including Detroit and areas inland, had already moved past peak color.
The Science Behind the Seasonal Palette
Fall color reaches its peak when air temperatures drop and shortened hours of daylight trigger some plants to slow and stop the production of chlorophyll—the molecule that plants use to synthesize food. When the green chlorophyll pigment fades, various yellow and red pigments become visible.
Ultimately, the region’s autumn hues will be replaced with winter white, as happened around this time of year in 2022. Already in 2024, parts of the Upper Peninsula have seen the season’s first measurable snow, though it didn’t stick around.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS).
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