Daily Weather Briefing for Tuesday, May 9, 2017

LOCAL NEWS



Several local people gathered late yesterday afternoon to protest Mission Health's decision to close Labor & Delivery at Angel Medical Center and to show support for the Labor & Delivery Staff. While this was happening, the Angel Medical Center Board of Directors met and voted to close Labor & Delivery Department at the facility in a few months time. Video and photos of the demonstration will be posted later today, along with more information on the board's decision.

LOCAL OUTLOOK

Upper-level ridging will build into the Deep South through Thursday allowing temperatures to climb back above normal. However, a quasi-stationary frontal boundary draped northwest to southeast across North Carolina will allow for some shower/t-storm activity each day through Thursday. The next main system impacts the region Friday as a cold front moves through, leaving drier and cooler weather in its wake for the weekend.


Weather Almanac for May 9th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 89°F in Franklin in 1962
Lowest Temperature 28°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1947
Greatest Rainfall 1.46 inches in Highlands in 1969
Greatest Snowfall 2.5 inches in Highlands in 1992

Read about the snowstorm that occurred around this time in 1992 at http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/weathermatrix/anniversary-of-freak-five-feet-of-nc-snow/18831



THREE DAY OUTLOOK




TODAY

Patchy fog early. Mostly sunny with highs near 80. Light winds from the northwest early, then increasing to 10 to 15 mph with gusts near 20 mph. Peak winds will be between 2 pm and 5 pm and will diminish by sunset. Slight chance of rain before 8 am.

TONIGHT

Mostly clear with lows in the mid-50s and winds from the northwest calming before midnight.



WEDNESDAY

Sunny with highs in the low-80s and west winds starting after 2 am, then shifting to come from the north before noon.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows near 60. Winds 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest calming before midnight.



THURSDAY

Partly sunny with highs near 80. 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly in the afternoon.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the mid to upper-50s. 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight.


HAZARDS

No hazardous weather is expected today. The is a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. None of them are expected to become severe.

As always, you can check to see what advisories, watches, and warnings are in effect for Macon County by visiting http://is.gd/MACONWARN


MACON CALENDAR

If you have an event you wish to be added to this calendar, please send the information, along with a flyer in pdf format or a high-quality photo, to editor@maconmedia.com
There is no charge for civic, educational or non-profit groups if they do not receive funding for advertising from the TDA, TDC, EDC or other local, state or federal agency/board.


Thursday, May 11, 6 pm

Social Media Panel and Discussion at the Macon County Public Library

On Thursday, May 11th at 6 pm, Macon County Public Library will host a panel and discussion on the uses of social media. This program is an invitation to learn and share perspectives about online resources, whether you are new to social media, immersed in cyberculture, or skeptical about the whole thing. Four local community members--Bobby Coggins, Elise Delfield, Jennifer Dills, and Timothy Tweed, all experienced at choosing between social media platforms and navigating the streams of digital communication--will talk about why they use their social media accounts, the communities they follow, and what they gain from them.

Read more at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2017/05/social-media-panel-and-discussion-at.html



SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

On January 1, 2017, the Syringe Exchange Program of Franklin began operating a comprehensive harm reduction program to address the opioid epidemic that is impacting western NC. Opioid overdose reversal kits including naloxone are available free of charge. If you have any questions about our services or if you know someone interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Almeida at 828-475-1920.



Astronomy

Twilight Begins: 6:07 am
Sunrise: 6:34 am
Sunset 8:26 pm
Twilight Ends: 8:54 pm




Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous with 98% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Moonset 6:08 a.m.
Moonrise 7:25 p.m.



Evening Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 10:30 pm tonight




Morning Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 4 am tomorrow morning




Sky Guides for this week

Sky and Telescope Magazine 
Astronomy Magazine


Earth Sky has an article on the eclipses of 2017. [LINK]

Heavens Above has an Android App that will assist you in observing the sky and even has a satellite tracker that will let you know when the International Space Station and dozens of other satellites are overhead. [LINK]

Stellarium is also an app that will assist you in observing the sky. It is available in both Android [LINK] and iOS versions. [LINK]

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.

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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


Published at 4:00 am on May 9, 2017

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety

Data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, and the Weather Prediction Center.