The absolute best place in the South to enjoy the bright reds, yellows, and oranges of the changing fall foliage is here in Ashe County, NC. From our office in West Jefferson, the top of Mount Jefferson and Mount Jefferson State Park peeks above the buildings and is a beautiful wash of green splattered with vivid reds, yellows, and orange.
October 2015 had been shaping up to be one of the best leaf seasons in many years, that is until the rain accompanying the early October low pressure system and remnants of Hurricane Juaquin dumped rain on the high country for 12 straight days. Kathy Matthews, an associate professor of biology at Western Carolina University, indicated that the good amount of rain in early spring followed by the long spell of dry weather the High Country had been experiencing were perfect conditions for producing beautiful pops of red in the changing leaves.
Just because the High Country experienced a drought busting 12 days of rain doesn’t mean all is lost. For the most part, the leaves are still clinging to the trees, and the highest elevations are displaying a vibrant palette of color.
According to the biology department at Appalachian State University, this weekend (October 8th) through late next week should be the ideal time to come experience the gorgeous colors throughout the High Country.
Check out our webcam to get a sneak peek at the changing colors around Downtown West Jefferson.
Click the Image to View Our Webcam
