No, it was not your imagination.
Thermometers across the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau did officially dip into the 40’s on Sunday and Monday mornings.
While the cool and crisp air might signal the end of summer for some, the brisk mornings are a welcome sight for many who have been trying their best to catch a break from the August humidity.
It has certainly been an odd weather year in Highlands. From spring snow, to overwhelmingly wet summer months, to the recent and abrupt turn towards autumn, the weather has been more than a casual point of conversation around town. Don’t expect that trend to stop, especially if the prognosticators are correct regarding what the final few months of 2020 have in store.
Western Carolina University biology professor Beverly Collins has become the region’s leaf season expert over her decades of monitoring the weather conditions in regards to fall color. Collins’s most recent prediction is for a vibrant leaf season from mid-September through the end of October.
A warm and wet summer that gives way to abrupt dry and cool fall conditions makes for the best leaf color, according to Collins. Highlands certainly meets those criteria.
The biology department at Appalachian State University, in Boone, recently put together a map of peak leaf season based on their calculations. For Macon County, the ASU peak prediction is Oct. 7-13.
While the enjoyable days of fall may soon be upon Highlands residents and guests, that also means that winter is lurking right around the corner. If the 2020 trends hold true, expect a rough weather ride – one the Farmer’s Almanac has termed a potential “Polar Coaster” with below average temperatures and above-average snowfall.
Highlands is an often-sought destination due to its seemingly near perfect summer and fall climate and the best of the best is to come in the next six weeks. Get out and enjoy all the hiking, biking, kayaking, shopping and outdoor dining available amidst the splendor of leaf season.
Before long, bitter winter cold will be at the doorstep.