DOG-FRIENDLY PARKS IN NOVI, MI

Northwest of Detroit, this Oakland County suburb exploded from 9,000 residents in 1980 to 66,000 today as auto industry prosperity drove residential development. The area's flat terrain and former farmland transformed into subdivisions, shopping centers, and office parks. Southeast Michigan's Great Lakes climate creates humid summers in the mid-80s and snowy winters averaging 40 inches annually. Novi's planned development patterns include corporate headquarters and retail corridors along I-96. Winter brings gray skies and frequent snow, while spring can remain chilly into May. Fall colors peak in early October before rapid leaf drop.