Each autumn, leaf peepers flock to New England to witness the region’s iconic golds, reds, and oranges. But the deciduous trees in other U.S. states, such as Michigan, also put on a stunning seasonal show.
Michigan’s Lower Peninsula—nicknamed “the mitten” for its shape that resembles the wintertime accessory—is centered in this satellite image. Each autumn, the northern Lower Peninsula’s maples display bright reds and oranges, while aspen and larch add splashes of yellow. The Upper Peninsula, covered by wispy clouds in this scene, displays similar colors. Toward the south, tree types include those seen up north, along with sassafras, hickory, and black gum. Stands of conifers throughout the state provide an unchanging backdrop of green.
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.
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). Story by Kathryn Hansen.
