The Midwest could offer fall’s most electric foliage but leaf peepers elsewhere won’t miss out

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fall is back, and bringing with it jack-o'-lanterns, football, pumpkin spice everything and — in some parts of the country — especially vibrant foliage.

Leaves around the northern U.S. are starting to turn orange, yellow and red, inspiring legions of leaf lovers to hop in their cars and travel to the countryside for the best look at fall's fireworks. Leaf peeping — the act of traveling to witness nature's annual kaleidoscope — contributes billions of dollars to the economy, especially in New England and New York.

But this year, some of the most colorful displays could be in the Midwest. AccuWeather, the commercial forecasting service, said in early September that it expects especially vibrant foliage in states such as Michigan and Illinois.

The service also said powerful, popping colors are expected in upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania, while New England will follow a more typical color pattern. But that doesn't mean New England travelers will miss out.

Maine, the most forested state in the country, had “an abundance of daily sunshine with just the right amount of rainfall to set the stage for a breathtaking foliage season,” said Gale Ross, the state's fall foliage spokesperson. Color change and timing depend on the weather in the fall, but cooler nighttime temperatures and shorter days should enhance the colors, Ross said.

“The growing season of 2024 has been excellent for trees, supporting tree health and resilience that should lead to brilliant fall colors throughout Maine,” said Aaron Bergdahl, the state's forest pathologist.

Fall colors peak at different times around the U.S., with the foliage season sometimes starting not long after Labor Day in the far northern reaches of the country and extending into November further to the south. In Maine alone, peak foliage can arrive in the northern part of the state in late September and not arrive in coastal areas until close to Halloween.

Leaf turn happens when summer yields to fall and temperatures drop and the amount of sunlight decreases. Chlorophyll in leaves then breaks down, and that allows their fall colors to shine through before leaf drop.

However, weather conditions associated with climate change have disrupted some recent leaf peeping seasons. A warming planet has brought drought that causes leaves to turn brown and wither before reaching peak colors.

Other enemies of leaf peeping include heat waves that cause leaves to fall before autumn arrives and extreme weather events like hurricanes that strip trees of their leaves. A summer heatwave in the Pacific Northwest in 2021 caused a condition called “foliage scorch” that prematurely browned leaves.

This year in Maine, leaf turn was still very sparse in most of the state as late September approached, but the state office of tourism was already gearing up for an influx of tourists. Northern Maine was already experiencing moderate color change. And neighboring New Hampshire was expecting about 3.7 million visitors — more than twice the state's population.

“It’s no surprise people travel from all over the world to catch the incredible color,” said NH Travel and Tourism Director Lori Harnois.

FILE - A maple leaf falls on a crisp autumn day, Oct. 14, 2009, in Freeport, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - Wildflowers, fall foliage and the 6,288-foot Mt. Washington serve as a backdrop for Jim and Kathleen Gannon and their son James as their daughter Katarina snaps a picture at Crawford Notch State Park in New Hampshire, Oct. 6, 2006. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - A railroad worker inspects the tracks behind his truck alongside the Androsscoggin River as a storm clears to reveal colorful fall foliage, Oct. 29, 2015, near Gorham, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - Wind whips the hair of two visitors taking in the view at the Indian Head vista overlooking Lower Ausable Lake in the Adirondacks, Sept. 27, 2020, near Keene Valley, N.Y. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - A pair of rowers glide on the Androscoggin River in Brunswick, Maine, where the foliage has changed to autumn colors, Oct. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - Fall foliage reflects on the Androscoggin River as Kathy Thorson rows a single scull, Oct. 12, 2021, in Brunswick, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - A boy finishes lighting a patch of jack-o-lanterns at the Camp Sunshine Maine Pumpkin Festival, Oct. 4, 2008, in Cumberland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - A maple tree shows off its autumn foliage, Sept. 29, 2022, in Bridgton, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - A couple takes in the view from the ocean lookout ledges of Mount Megunticook at Camden Hills State Park in Camden, Maine, on Oct. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - Valley fog wafts through the autumn-colored hills near the Picket Hill Farm, Wednesday morning, Oct. 13, 2021, in Denmark, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - In this photo taken with a slow shutter speed, autumn's colors peak on hardwood trees in a cemetery near the Congregational Church, Monday, Oct. 10, 2016, in Cumberland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least 32 people have been killed in a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, officials said.

Two ballistic missiles struck the heart of the city at around 10:15 a.m. as people gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday, according to officials. Images posted from the scene on official channels showed lines of black body bags lying on the side of the road, while more bodies were seen wrapped in foil blankets among the debris. Video footage also showed fire crews as they fought to extinguish the shells of burnt-out cars among the rubble from damaged buildings.

“On this bright Palm Sunday, our community has suffered a terrible tragedy,” acting Mayor Artem Kobzar said in a statement on social media. “Unfortunately, we already know of more than 20 deaths.”

At least 32 people were killed as a result of the attack, including two children, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said in a statement. A further 84 people were injured, including 10 children, it said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that rescue efforts were ongoing and said “dozens” had been killed in the double missile attack.

“According to preliminary information, dozens of civilians were killed and wounded. Only filthy scum can act like this — taking the lives of ordinary people,” he said.

The attack on Sumy is the second large-scale attack to claim civilian lives in just over a week, following a deadly missile strike on Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 that killed some 20 people, including nine children.

Zelenskyy also called for a global response to the attack. “Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs. What’s needed is an attitude toward Russia that a terrorist deserves,” he said.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the mayor of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, said Sunday that a Russian strike had hit one of the city’s kindergartens, shattering windows and damaging the building’s facade. No casualties were reported.

The strikes come a day after Russia and Ukraine’s senior diplomats accused each other of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year war.

The two countries’ foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects.

“The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the U.S., Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv’s attacks during the past three weeks.

His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, contested that claim, saying Saturday that Russia had launched “almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians" since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

A damaged public bus is seen in the city center after Russia's missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/str)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters carry a body of the victim following Russia's missile attack that killed at least 24 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, bodies of the killed residents lie on the ground following Russia's missile attack that killed at least 24 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

The city center in the aftermath of the Russia's missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters inspects a burnt car with victims inside following Russia's missile attack that killed at least 24 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

The body of the killed resident lies in a bus following the Russia's missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

The city center in the aftermath of the Russia's missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

The city center in the aftermath of the Russia's missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

The city center in the aftermath of the Russia's missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service, ruines of the regional human rights department building is seen following a Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Sunday, April 13, 2025, Russian soldiers in an undisclosed location in Ukraine fire an anti-tank missile during exercising. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service, bodies of the killed residents lie on the ground following a Russia's missile attack that killed at least 20 civilians in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Press Service via AP)