Autumn Sunshine by Glen Suszko
As you can see from the Weather Underground forecast, Michigan is looking at a nearly unbroken run of sun over the next week!
Glen took this shot the other day in Southeast Michigan. See more of his finest photos in his Explored gallery on Flickr & for sure follow him on Facebook for his latest!
Julie took this pic the other day at Tom Lakenen’s Lakenenland Sculpture Park near Marquette. Lakenenland is a free, open-air art attraction in that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can see lots more in her U.P. of Michigan gallery on Flickr & definitely follow Julie on Flickr for her latest pics!
Astro and Au Sable River, Foote Pond Overlook by paulv21
Even though we were just at the Au Sable River, I couldn’t leave an obvious good boy like Astro hanging!! Plus it’s a great chance to look in on the fall color in northeast Michigan, which looks pretty close to the Pure Michigan estimate of 60-80%. Here is the current (estimated) fall color a few selected locations across the Great Lakes State from Pure Michigan:
Upper Peninsula
Marquette – Fall Color : 80-100%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 8-14
Sault Ste. Marie – Fall Color : 40-60%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 11-17
Mackinac Island – Fall Color : 40-60%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 11-17
Central Lower Peninsula
Muskegon – Fall Color : 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 15-30
Holland – Fall Color : 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 19-23
Northern Lower Peninsula
Petoskey – Fall Color : 60-80%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 16-23
Gaylord – Fall Color : 60-80%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 12-18
Charlevoix – Fall Color : 40-60%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 11-20
Southern Lower Peninsula
Kalamazoo – Fall Color: 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 25 – November 4
Ann Arbor – Fall Color: 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 18-24
Paul took these photos on Sunday. Follow him on Flickr to keep up with his (and Astro’s) adventures!
Michigan Fall Paddle photo by Brent West
The latest in my ongoing quest to rescue some of my favorite pics from oblivion is this photo I shared fifteen October 13ths ago. The article I linked to is gone, but I’m still very much in favor of adventures!
Check this out in Brent’s Random gallery on Flickr.
Forest Elders by Aaron Springer
Foggy morning out there for me in Southeast Michigan, though we definitely have a lot more color on the trees! How are things looking where you are?
Aaron’s photo from way back in fall of 2016 really jumped out the other day when I was looking for a pic in the Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr! See more from Aaron in his showcase.
Autumn Fire & Color Season by Bobby Palosaari
I was looking for a good fall quotation for another photo, but this one was so good I had to share it. If you want to read more about the Science of Fall Color, Michigan in Pictures has you covered!
Bobby took these over a decade ago but the colors still pop! Check out some of his most popular photos on Flickr.
It’s that time when the trees are changing. If you’re like me & wondering when this or that tree will change, MSU Extension would like to share a little of the science behind how weather can affect fall color:
Leaves on a tree change color mainly in response to the decrease of daily sunlight … When chlorophyll is reduced, other pigments in the leaves begin to show or are produced. For example, the length of leaf color display time, as well as the extent of red color in the leaves, is directly related to temperature and moisture conditions that occur before and during the period when the amount of chlorophyll in the leaves is diminishing.
The most brilliant leaf displays follow a period of cool nights and warm days filled with sunshine. During this weather cycle, leaves photosynthesize and produce an abundance of sugars during the sunny days. The cooler nights and the gradual narrowing of leaf veins mean most of the sugars produced stay trapped in the leaf. This abundance of sugars, coupled with full sun, leads to the production of anthocyanin pigments, which produce red, purple, and crimson colors. The red hues are most vivid in leaves that receive full sun as the pigment helps protect the photosynthetic structures from damage by the bright sunshine.
Conversely, yellow and gold leaf colors result from carotenoid pigments which are always present in the leaf and only become visible when chlorophyll breaks down. We can always count on the yellow and gold fall leaf colors while red colors rely on the aforementioned weather conditions to present with vigor.
Read lots more about how weather affects fall colors.
I originally shared this photo as a cover for the Michigan in Pictures Facebook page back in 2017. Figured I’d bring it back for a post! Follow Jimmy Yeh Photo on Facebook for the latest.
Autumn on the AuSable River by Craig Sterken Photography
Craig shared this photo writing “It felt a little cooler here today and reminded me that autumn is just around the corner. Here’s a throwback to autumn with a view over the Ausable River.” Follow Craig on Facebook for his latest and view & purchase his work on his website – the Autumn gallery is great!
As Craig observes, there’s a nip in the air as Michigan gears up for one of the best fall color shows in the nation. Pure Michigan’s Fall Color Map has estimated fall color by day so I put together a little slideshow to help you gauge when & where to find the best fall color.
Obviously, you’ll want to get the color update from the source. Some of my favorite places to get info are the Traverse City Tourism, Travel Marquette, Visit Southwest Michigan, West Michigan Tourism, and MyNorth.com.
Michigan in Pictures is a great source for all kinds of fall photos along with in-depth articles like The Science of Fall Color.
Celebrating the Equinox by Heather Higham
The autumnal equinox takes place tonight at 8:04 pm. NASA urges us to Embrace the Equinox, sharing that the word “equinox” originates from Latin, and translates to equal (equi-) night (-nox):
The equinox marks the exact moment when the center of the Sun crosses the plane of our planet’s equator. The day of an equinox, observers at the equator will see the Sun directly overhead at noon. After the March equinox, observers anywhere on Earth will see the Sun’s path in the sky continue its movement further north every day until the June solstice, after which it begins traveling south. The Sun crosses the equatorial plane again during the September equinox, and continues traveling south until the December solstice, when it heads back north once again. This movement is why some refer to the March equinox as the northward equinox and the September equinox as the southward equinox.
Heather shared this photo waaaaay back in 2014. Follow @SnapHappyGal on Instagram and view & purchase her work on her website!
Lots more in the equinox archive on Michigan in Pictures.
Sun kissed Tahquamenon Falls by Etzel Noble
Etzel shared this back in fall of 2019. See more in his Fall/Autumn gallery on Flickr.
Lots more Tahquamenon Falls & lots more Michigan fall photos on Michigan in Pictures.
