Counties
Twenty counties, ordered by how much elevation they span. The ones at the top are where a single county-wide forecast is least useful.
Haywood
5,321 ft spread1,300–6,621 ft · Mount Guyot
Seat Waynesville · 3 towns · 2 river gauges
McDowell
5,165 ft spread1,100–6,265 ft · Mount Craig area
Seat Marion · 1 town · 1 river gauge
Swain
5,043 ft spread1,600–6,643 ft · Clingmans Dome
Seat Bryson City · 1 town · 2 river gauges
Transylvania
4,830 ft spread1,200–6,030 ft · Chestnut Bald
Seat Brevard · 1 town · 2 river gauges
Buncombe
4,810 ft spread1,600–6,410 ft · Potato Knob
Seat Asheville · 5 towns · 2 river gauges
Yancey
4,784 ft spread1,900–6,684 ft · Mount Mitchell
Seat Burnsville · 1 town · 2 river gauges
Jackson
4,492 ft spread1,800–6,292 ft · Waterrock Knob
Seat Sylva · 3 towns · 1 river gauge
Mitchell
4,489 ft spread1,700–6,189 ft · Roan High Knob
Seat Bakersville · 1 town
Madison
4,200 ft spread1,300–5,500 ft · Big Bald
Seat Marshall · 2 towns · 2 river gauges
Watauga
3,964 ft spread2,000–5,964 ft · Grandfather Mountain
Seat Boone · 2 towns
Graham
3,962 ft spread1,100–5,062 ft · Hangover Lead
Seat Robbinsville · 1 town
Avery
3,764 ft spread2,200–5,964 ft · Grandfather Mountain
Seat Newland · 3 towns
Macon
3,699 ft spread1,800–5,499 ft · Standing Indian
Seat Franklin · 2 towns
Clay
3,462 ft spread1,600–5,062 ft · Standing Indian area
Seat Hayesville · 1 town
Henderson
3,300 ft spread1,300–4,600 ft · Little Pisgah Mountain
Seat Hendersonville · 2 towns
Cherokee
3,300 ft spread1,300–4,600 ft · Big Frog area
Seat Murphy · 2 towns
Ashe
3,300 ft spread2,200–5,500 ft · Bluff Mountain area
Seat Jefferson · 2 towns
Burke
3,200 ft spread900–4,100 ft · Hawksbill / Table Rock
Seat Morganton · 1 town
Rutherford
2,420 ft spread780–3,200 ft · Chimney Rock area
Seat Rutherfordton · 2 towns · 1 river gauge
Polk
2,400 ft spread800–3,200 ft · Tryon Peak
Seat Columbus · 2 towns
Why spread matters more than size
Yancey County runs from about 1,900 ft on the Toe River to 6,684 ft on Mount Mitchell. On a marginal winter day that is rain at the bottom and heavy snow at the top, at the same hour, under one county forecast. A flatland county with the same area has one weather; these have several stacked vertically.