Daily Weather Briefing for Macon County Wednesday, March 23, 2016

**WEATHER BRIEFING FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016**

OVERVIEW

It will remain dry and warm in the region today. A cold front will bring increased chances of rain on Thursday and Thursday night, then dry high pressure is expected to return on Friday, lingering through Saturday with another low pressure will arrive on Sunday, bringing moisture and increased chances of rain into the region.

LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR

The legislative calendar for today is posted online at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/nc-general-assembly-legislative.html It includes a call for a special session by the NC House and a joint proclamation by the NC House and NC Senate calling for a special session. Information and links are provided on the website.


TODAY

Widespread frost before 9 am, mostly sunny with highs near the mid to upper 60s. Some locations in the county could see 70 or higher. Light winds from the west south west will shift to come from the south southwest 5 to 10 mph by mid morning, gusts could reach 20 mph at times.


HAZARDS

A Freeze Advisory is in effect for Macon County until 9 am today. Frost is expected to be widespread. The National Weather Service has also issued a Special Weather Statement regarding increased fire danger from 9 am this morning until 9 pm tonight. Please use extreme caution if you do burn. Please consider putting off any burning until another time.

Unless the Forest Service cancels, they have scheduled a prescribed burn in the Nantahala Gorge today. The plan is to burn about 1,600 acres.



SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
404 AM EDT WED MAR 23 2016

...INCREASED FIRE DANGER FROM 9 AM EDT THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

THE COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY... GUSTY WINDS... AND LOW FUEL MOISTURE WILL LEAD TO INCREASED FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION OF NORTH CAROLINA TODAY. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FALLING IN THE UPPER TEENS AND 20S BY THIS AFTERNOON WILL COMBINE WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH... WITH OCCASIONAL HIGHER GUSTS...TO FURTHER DRY OUT FINE FUELS.

PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL BURN PERMITTING AUTHORITY ON WHETHER YOU CAN BURN. IF YOU DO BURN... YOU ARE ADVISED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION.

Current Advisories, Watches and Warnings issued by the National Weather Service for Macon County can be viewed at any time at http://is.gd/MACONWARN

POLLEN REPORT

The pollen level today will be high (10.3 out of 12.0) with Maple, Juniper and Oak still being the main producers of pollen. The pollen levels are expected to be medium high to high through at least Saturday.


TONIGHT

Increasing clouds with lows near the mid 40s and winds from the south 5 to 10 mph.


THURSDAY

Mostly cloudy with highs near the mid 60s and winds from the south 5 to 10 mph. 60% chance of rain, mainly after 5 pm.


THURSDAY NIGHT

Cloudy with lows near the lower 40s and winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. 80% chance of rain, mainly before 3 am, with rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch expected.



WEATHER ADVISORIES, WATCHES AND WARNINGS

• Frost Advisory until March 23, 09:00 AM EDT
• Special Weather Statement regarding increased fire danger


ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you have an event announcement, or wish to inquire about a day sponsorship, email the information to editor@maconmedia.com.
An advertising fee will be required for events that either charge admission or charge for vendor participation.



WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23RD
2:00 & 6:00 p.m.
“Appalachian Impressions: Hiking the Appalachian Trail” documentary.
Take the 2,173 mile journey along the most famous long-distance hiking trail in the world. Along the way you'll meet hikers who have embarked on the trek, carrying everything they need on their backs. Hear their stories and experience the thrills and pain of this epic journey.


SATURDAY, APRIL 2ND
8am to 1 pm
A Benefit Car Show for Operation Christmas Child, Western North Carolina, will be held Saturday, April 2nd from 8 am to 3 pm at Franklin High School parking lot, by football field. Registration Fee: $15 to enter a car. If you are interested in showing or participating please contact: Shelly Pilkerton at 828-371-7503 or e-mail: shellypilkerton@yahoo.com. For more information on the event, see http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/benefit-car-show-for-operation.html



WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6TH
8:00am

Weekly Greenway Birdwalks begin. Meet at the Macon County Public Library parking lot.



MACON COUNTY WEATHER EXTREME ALMANAC FOR MARCH 23RD

Highest Temperature • 82°F at the Coweeta Experimental Lab in 2011
Lowest Temperature • 15°F in Highlands in 2004
Greatest One-Day Precipitation • 4.05 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Lab in 1952
Greatest One-Day Snowfall • 0.1 inches in Highlands in 1950


WEATHER EXTREMES FOR MARCH IN MACON COUNTY
(1872-2016)

Highest Temperature -- 86°F at the Coweeta Experimental Lab on March 15, 1967
Lowest Temperature -- -7°F in Highlands on March 7, 1899
Greatest One-Day Precipitation – 6.43 inches in Highlands on March 29, 1898
Greatest One-Day Snowfall – 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Lab on March 13, 1993




CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

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If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at >>
https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia

time posted >> 5:00 am on facebook, earlier on the web
(weekend and major holiday publish times are 6 am and weekdays are 5 am)