Daily Weather Briefing for Friday, July 28, 2017

LOCAL OUTLOOK

A strong cold front will cross the region from the west today and tonight. Cooler and drier air will arrive across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia through the weekend and linger through the early part of next week. More typical summertime conditions will return about the middle of next week.


DAY SPONSOR

The Georgia Department of Economic Development is underwriting Macon Media for today and reminds you that Rabun County, Georgia has a county-wide “Outasight” eclipse viewing party planned for August 21st at the Rabun Gap Nacoochee School. More information may be found at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/georgias-total-solar-eclipse-outasight-viewing-party-at-rgns-tickets-36172624293

Other events happening in and near Rabun County the weekend of the eclipse can be found on the Explore Rabun website at http://explorerabun.com/events-happening-total-solar-eclipse-rabun-county-georgia/




WEATHER SPONSOR



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for the month. They have all your masonry products (block, mortars, tools), plus feature Belgrade Pavers and Sakrete Products. Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC.

Visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

Their phone number is 828.524.8545, all are welcome, let them help you with your next project.


Weather Almanac for July 28th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 98°F in Franklin in 1952
Lowest Temperature 36°F in Highlands in 1911
Greatest Rainfall 1.90 inches in Franklin in 1997

Record weather events for July in Macon County

Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on July 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature 34°F in Highlands on July 27, 1911
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on July 29, 1879


THREE DAY OUTLOOK

TODAY Severe thunderstorms possible today

Patchy fog early. Cloudy with highs near 80 and calm winds in the morning, then winds out of the southwest in the afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms are likely with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch expected, more is possible in locations that are hit by multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms.

TONIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the mid-60s and variable light winds, then 5 to 10 mph from the west before midnight. Precipitation chances are high with showers and thunderstorms expected, mainly before 3 am. Rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch is expected, more is possible in locations that are hit by multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms.

SATURDAY

Mostly sunny with highs in the low to mid-80s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows in the upper 50s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the north making it feel like it is in the lower 50s at times.

SUNDAY

Mostly sunny with highs in the lower 50s.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Mostly clear with lows near 60.

HAZARDS

Severe weather is possible this afternoon as a cold front approaches the region. Some of the thunderstorms that develop may become severe, with damaging winds, cloud to ground lightning, torrential rainfall and damaging winds expected. Please remember that if thunder roars, go indoors. The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for our region for today and a copy is posted below for your convenience. Please be weather aware and stay close to shelter.

NWS Hazardous Weather Outlook

..TODAY...Severe weather possible. A strong cold front will cross the region this afternoon and tonight. There is considerable uncertainty over how thunderstorms will organize ahead of the front. Damaging wind gusts will be the primary threat with any storms that form, especially if lines of thunderstorms or organized thunderstorm outflows develop. Locally heavy rain and isolated flooding will be possible in any areas repeatedly affected by thunderstorms.

For more information on dealing with excessive heat, please check out http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/

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

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Fri Jul 28 2017

For the North Atlantic...The Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

1. A large area of cloudiness and disorganized shower activity is associated with a broad low-pressure system located about 800 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Slow development is possible over the next several days while the system moves slowly westward or west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...low...30 percent.


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. If you want text published, please include a paragraph with your photo, flyer or graphic. Please include date(s) and time(s).
There is no charge for civic, educational or nonprofit groups, except for groups or events that receive funding from the TDA, TDC, and EDC, where full rates apply.

Wednesday, August 2nd

7:00 p.m. in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room- "A Trip to the Moon and Beyond: The fantastical science fiction silent films of George Melies"
Each short film will be presented with a LIVE soundtrack featuring musicians Tyler Kittle and Michael Libramento.

Free and open to the public.


September 27th, WEDNESDAY

HOSPICE HOUSE FOUNDATION OF WNC

PEACEFUL JOURNEY
3rd annual charity dining event
hosted by RISTORANTE PAOLETTI at 440 Main Street in Highlands

For information, visit http://hhfwnc.org/peaceful-journey/


National Alliance on Mental Illness
Appalachian South

Meets each Thursday at 7pm
The First Methodist Church Outreach Center
at the intersection of Harrison Ave. and West Main Street
(directly across from Lazy Hiker Brewery)

Come join our weekly support group for anyone suffering from mental illness and their family or friends. This includes Depression, Bipolar,8chizophrenia, PTSD, Substance Abuse, Etc.

Here you will find:
— others living with mental health challenges YOU ARE NOT ALONE
- learn coping skills and ?find hope in shared experience
- help learning how to break down stigma and guilt surrounding mental health
- how to live life with the expectation of a better a better future

Kay (706)970-9987 Denise (828)347-5000)

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.



Sun and Moon

Sun

Begin civil twilight 6:12 a.m.
Sunrise 6:40 a.m.
Sun transit 1:40 p.m.
Sunset 8:40 p.m.
End civil twilight 9:08 p.m.

Moon

Moonrise 12:07 p.m.
Moon transit 6:13 p.m.
Moonset 12:13 a.m. on Saturday

Closest Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter on July 30, 2017, at 11:23 a.m. (local daylight time)

Phase of the Moon on July 28, 2017: Waxing Crescent with 31% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
The next New Moon will occur during a total solar eclipse at 2:36:40 pm on August 21, 2017.


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

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

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 have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.

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 4:25 am on July 28, 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.