By MORGAN SIMMONS
The Knoxville News Sentinel
KNOXVILLE – Every year, Kathy Gould Mathews takes a deep breath and weighs in on the fall foliage season.
An associate professor of biology at Western Carolina University specializing in plant systematics, Mathews does not take her annual forecast lightly. Neither do the tourist industries across Western North Carolina and East Tennessee who count on the color change to bring in business.
Mathews says she expects an above-average display this autumn based on weather patterns this past spring and summer.
“It’s been a hot year, with above-average temperatures this summer,” she said. “Rainfall has been slightly less than average this spring and summer. These are two factors I look at when thinking about the timing and quality of the fall color change in the mountains.”
