Drone video shows colorful fall foliage in Minnesota
More vibrant colors are in store for the Land of 10,000 Lakes, as the state usually reaches its peak fall color by early to mid-October.
Watch: Drone video of autumnal colors in Minnesota
Leaves have started to change into bright shades of orange, yellow and red around Caribou Lake, Minnesota.
Drone video taken on Sunday shows rich hues ranging from bronze to burgundy peppered throughout green treetops around Caribou Lake in northeastern Minnesota.
Shot by Minneapolis-based photographer Logan Murphy, or @loganmurphyphotography, the footage captures the beauty of summer giving way to fall in the Great Lakes landscape.
"The fall colors are really starting to show in the higher elevations near Lake Superior," Murphy said.
Fall foliage around Caribou Lake in Minnesota.
(@loganmurphyphotography via Storyful / Getty Images)
More vibrant colors are in store for the Land of 10,000 Lakes, as the state usually reaches its peak fall color by early to mid-October.
DISCOVER FALL FOLIAGE MAPS AND WHERE TO SEE THE MOST BRILLIANT COLORS
The changing colors are the result of leaves being drained of their chlorophyll, a pigment that gives leaves their green color. Chlorophyll is also responsible for capturing sunlight and turning it into sugar.
Fall colors burst underneath blue sky and white clouds in Tofte, Minnesota.
(Alex Kormann / Star Tribune / Getty Images)
However, other pigments are also found in leaves throughout the year or are only produced during fall, says SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Those pigments include:
- Xanthophylls - Pigments that create yellows and are found throughout the year in trees like tulip trees and sweetgum (but are masked by chlorophyll until fall).
- Carotenoids - Pigments that create oranges and are found throughout the year in trees like aspens and birches (but are masked by chlorophyll until fall).
- Anthocyanins - Pigments that create red and purples in trees like maples and dogwoods and are only produced in the fall.
Red fall leaves and blue sky.
(Lucas George Wendt / Unsplash)
In addition to the presence of pigments, a number of weather factors can contribute to the richness and timing of fall colors. For example, experts say that the late arrival of spring or a significant summer drought can delay the colors by several weeks.
TEMPERATURE, MOISTURE INFLUENCE THE BRILLIANCE OF FALL COLORS
The addition of significant cool spells or even tropical cyclones, especially along the eastern seaboard, can alter the season altogether and prevent the vibrant colors from making their return.
To see when more areas reach their peak fall colors, click here.