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CICS-MD Scientist Xiaoyang Zhang (formerly at STAR and currently at South Dakota State University) and NOAA Sponsor Bob Yu (STAR/SMCD/EMB) have developed a new method to monitor and predict short-term fall foliage coloration using the VIIRS daily vegetation index. Developed with the support of the JPSS Proving Ground and Risk Reduction Program, the new system currently monitors foliage development across the United States every 3 days and further makes prediction to 10 days ahead. This new data product is the first to measure and predict fall foliage coloration from a satellite data time series.
This map below is an example of a Foliage phase prediction 10 days ahead derived from VIIRS NDVI for October 25:
The map below shows the near real-time VIIRS NDVI vegetation index for Fall foliage on October 24: