Fall colors are in full bloom

across northern Michigan, where foliage is making its annual transition from green to red and orange.

The Upper Peninsula, along with the northern half of the Lower Peninsula, are hitting peak colors this week, according to the latest report from The Foliage Network.

"It depends on how close to the water you are, but the colors are probably prime right now," said Chris Maxson, skier services manager for Michigan Technical Institute on the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Maxey expects a healthy turnout this weekend at Mont Ripley in Hancock, where student groups host annual fall color tour fundraisers that include a chair lift ride to the top of the ski hill overlooking the Portage canal.

Roughly 1,000 visitors took the tour last year over the course of several days.

"It's just a beautiful landscape," Maxson said of the area. "Most people in the Lower Peninsula look at Michigan as an industrial state, and that's not always the case."

An unusually dry summer has led to an early transition for fall colors across most of the Midwest, and there have been some reports of drought-stressed trees dropping their leaves earlier than normal.

But leaf drop remains moderate across most of Michigan, according to Wednesday's Fall Foliage Report.

Keith Berger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, said strong winds and freezing temperatures have not yet had a major impact in northern Michigan but may accelerate leaf drop in the near future.

"It certainly has begun, and the winds have certainly led to a lot of it," he said. "But even as windy as it's been the last few days, from personal observation, I'm surprised the trees have not been stripped as much as they might have."

While leaves may fall faster than usual this year, this weekend may not provide ideal conditions for color tours, as much of northern Michigan is expected to stay in an active weather pattern that may produce thunderstorms on Saturday.

"It doesn't look like it's going to be a fantastic weather weekend," said Berger. "...It'll be warmer but rainy."

Planning a fall color tour this weekend? Check local forecasts for popular destinations around the state on the MLive weather page.