Daily Weather Briefing for Tuesday, August 15, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

GoFundMe accounts have been established for the victims of the accident on Cowee Mountain that occurred this past Saturday.

Cieara Sunshine Harmon burial expenses [LINK]

Zander, Elayna, and Heather Medical [LINK]


LOCAL OUTLOOK 

A stationary front is expected to remain across the region through Tuesday while a second front approaches from the west. This next front will move into the region Tuesday night into Wednesday. Drier high pressure is expected for the end of the week leading to hotter conditions. Humid and unsettled weather gradually returns through the weekend into the start of the new work week.

Eclipse Day Forecast (August 15th Edition)

This is a collection of forecasts for the day of the eclipse for the Franklin area.

Accuweather

High 83° Low 61° Chance of a thunderstorm

Intellicast/Weather Underground are identical

High 82° Low 63° Scattered showers and thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Amount: 0.11 in.

Weather Bug

High 81° Low 64° Mostly sunny in the morning then becoming partly sunny. A chance of showers. A chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Chance of rain 40%.

Macon Media

Highs Franklin area will be in the upper 70s to low 80s. Nantahala, Highlands and higher elevation will be in the 70s. Skies partly to mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon are likely. Coverage will be in a hit or miss summer pattern. Some places will be clear during totality and others will not.

When you look at the forecast over the week, try to keep in mind what this may mean for traffic conditions. If possible, leave for work or play early on the 21st and always let family members and friends know what your plans are.


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 August 15th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 96°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1943
Lowest Temperature 47°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1963
Greatest Rainfall 6.32 inches in Highlands in 1928

Record weather events for August in Macon County

Highest Temperature 99°F in Franklin on Aug 9, 1980
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Aug 29, 1968
Greatest Rainfall 9.68 inches in Highlands on Aug 13, 1940


THREE DAY OUTLOOK



TODAY scattered showers, potential for briefly heavy rain

Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly cloudy with highs near the mid-80s in the Franklin and Otto areas, mid-70s in the Highlands area and higher elevations. Light winds out of the northwest early, gradually increasing to 5 to 10 mph by mid-morning and persisting through the day. 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between noon and 9 pm. Rain with these pop-up thunderstorms could be heavy at times.


TONIGHT

Mostly cloudy with fog expected to develop after midnight and lows in the 60s. Light winds out of the northwest. 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight.




WEDNESDAY

Partly sunny with highs near the mid -80s in the Franklin and Otto areas and in the mid to upper 70s in Highlands and higher elevations. Light winds out of the west. 30% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows in the 60s and calm winds. 30% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight.



THURSDAY

Partly sunny with highs in the mid to upper 80s in the Franklin and Otto areas and the mid to upper 70s in Highlands and higher elevations. 40% chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10 am.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the upper 60s in the Franklin and Otto area and the lower 60s in higher elevations.

HAZARDS

Isolated showers and thunderstorms are possible today. Coverage will be less than previous days. There is a potential for briefly torrential rainfall with some of these storms.

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

We are now in the time frame of where storms that develop in the Caribbean Sea or Atlantic Basin could impact our view of the solar eclipse on August 21st. It is beginning to look like tropical weather probably won't be ruining our view of the eclipse, but a thunderstorm or general cloudiness might.

Hurricane GERT will parallel the east coast and poses no danger to the mainland of the United States.


Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Tue Aug 15 2017

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

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Gert, located several hundred miles west of Bermuda.

1. A couple of disorganized areas of disturbed weather are embedded within an elongated area of low pressure located several hundred miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. Only slow development is anticipated during the next day or two, but conditions are forecast to become a little more conducive for tropical cyclone formation by later in the week while the system moves westward at about 15 mph over the tropical Atlantic.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...medium...60 percent.

2. A tropical wave over western Africa is forecast to emerge into the far eastern Atlantic Ocean in about two days. Conditions appear
conducive for some development after that time while the wave moves westward at about 15 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...low...20 percent.

ECLIPSE EVENTS (events listed here are paid sponsorships)

RABUN COUNTY

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/

BRYSON CITY ECLIPSE WEEKEND

Bryson City invites you to a weekend of celebrating the eclipse. To find out more information, visit their page at https://www.greatsmokies.com/2017eclipse.html

Bryson City is recommended by TravelChannel.com as the spot in North Carolina to watch the eclipse.


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.


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 6:27 a.m.
Sunrise 6:54 a.m.
Sun transit 1:38 p.m.
Sunset 8:22 p.m.
End civil twilight 8:49 p.m.

Moon

Moonrise 12:53 a.m.
Moon transit 7:48 a.m.
Moonset 2:48 p.m.

Closest Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter on August 14, 2017 at 9:15 p.m. (local daylight time)

Phase of the Moon on August 15, 2017: Waning Crescent with 43% 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

I will be posting an August Update in the next few days on our patreon campaign, which has reached 25 people who have pledged $294. Payout is on August 6th.

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. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

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 3:58 am on August 15, 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.