The entire fall season is a beautiful one in Michigan, but it is arguably most beautiful when the color change reaches its peak -- when most of the bright green hues have transitioned to rich yellows and ambers we associate with the season.
The time when the color change reaches its ultimate peak varies by region in Michigan, depending how far north you go. The color change occurs a bit earlier in the Upper Peninsula than in the Lower Peninsula -- though the timing is fairly similar.
As of this writing, most of the Upper Peninsula has essentially passed its color change peak -- but it’s not too late to get a look at the color change in the Lower Peninsula.
According to SmokyMountains.com’s annual Fall Foliage Prediction Map, the Lower Peninsula and the central Upper Peninsula will reach its peak color change this year on or around Oct. 10. The east and west sides of the Upper Peninsula reached their peak color change around Oct. 3, the map shows.
Though some of Michigan has passed the peak, here was the predicted timeline for the color change in Michigan for the month of October:
- Oct. 3: Near peak color change in most of the state, peak color change on the east and west sides of the U.P.
- Oct. 10: Peak color change in most of the L.P. and in the central U.P., past peak color change on the east and west sides of the U.P.
- Oct. 17: The entire state of Michigan will be past peak color change.
Check out the interactive map and timeline below to see for yourself.
The predicted dates are not expected to be 100% accurate, but are certainly close. Website officials say they examine official data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as historical trends and user reports, to make their predictions.
“... after publishing our predictive fall foliage map for nearly a decade, we are confident in our data sources, process, and algorithm,” said David Angotti, map creator and co-founder of SmokyMountains.com.
Why do leaves change color?
Leaves are green from spring to summer. That green is the color of chlorophyll, which turns sunlight into food for the tree.
Then two things happen in the fall that causes chlorophyll to break down: diminishing sunlight and colder temperatures. This is a natural process and is part of the tree’s transition to winter mode. As the chlorophyll breaks down, the leaves morph into other colors.
Diminishing sunlight in the fall is a constant, it happens at the same pace every year. But temperature is not a constant -- and changes to our October temperature regime could change the timing of when the leaves turn.
Read more: How changing climate is impacting Michigan’s fall colors