Daily Weather Briefing for Monday, April 23, 2018

EARLY VOTING

Early voting in the 2018 primary is underway with voting taking place at the Macon County Board of Elections Office in Franklin and at the Civic Center in Highlands. The last day to vote early is May 5th and election day is May 8th. For more information about the number of ballots cast and what offices have primaries, check out the articles listed below.


Day 1 https://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/data-from-day-one-of-early-voting.html

Day 2 http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/data-from-day-two-of-early-voting.html

Day 3 http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/data-from-day-three-of-early-voting.html 

Exact hours of operation are posted on The Macon County Board of Elections Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/MaconCountyElections/posts/1716998161699396



LOCAL OUTLOOK

A slowly moving low pressure will bring a strong, moist flow in from the Gulf and Atlantic today. The abundant moisture will then gradually decrease into Tuesday. The atmosphere will generally dry out Wednesday before another moist area of low pressure crosses the region Thursday through Friday.

DAY SPONSOR

Carrion Tree Service is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for today. they are a fully licensed and insured tree service, specializing in dangerous tree removal, view clearing, pruning, and crane services with a 24 Hour emergency response. 

Their phone number is 371-4718. They are located at 120 Depot Street.

They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.


WEATHER SPONSOR



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help with your with your next project.





Weather Almanac for April 21st (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 87°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1988
Lowest Temperature 19°F in Highlands in 1903
Greatest Rainfall 5.60 inches in Highlands in 1883
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 1.0 inches in Highlands in 1901

Record Weather Events for April (1872-2017)

Highest Temperature 91°F in Franklin on April 26, 1986
Lowest Temperature 13°F in Highlands on April 1, 1987
Greatest Rainfall 7.00 inches in Highlands on April 7, 1895
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 9.5 inches in Franklin on April 4, 1987



THREE DAY OUTLOOK

The images below represent the daily forecast at 8 am for today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Click on any of them to enlarge.



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FRANKLIN AREA

TODAY (Flood Watch)

Cloudy and rainy. Fog could linger into the early afternoon. Highs near the mid-50s. Winds 10 to 15 mph out of the southeast with gusts near 20 mph. Near 100% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between three-quarters of an inch and one inch expected, and double that in locations with a south or southeast-facing slope.

TONIGHT (Flood Watch)

Patchy fog, cloudy and rainy. Lows near 50. Winds 5 to 10 mph out of the southwest. Near 100% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between three-quarters of an inch and one inch expected. Double that is possible in south and southwest-facing slopes.

TUESDAY (Flood Watch until 8 am)

Cloudy and rainy with highs in the lower 60s. Variable light winds. 80% chance of rain with thunderstorms possible in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch expected with more possible in locations where thunderstorms hit.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near 50 and winds out of the northwest. 30% chance of rain, mainly before 3 am.

WEDNESDAY

Mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60s. 30% chance of showers in the afternoon.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near 50 and winds out of the northwest. 30% chance of showers.
-----------------------------------------
OTTO AREA

TODAY (Flood Watch)

Cloudy, rainy and foggy. The fog could last until the afternoon hours. Highs in the mid-50s Winds 10 to 15 mph out of the southeast with gusts as high as 25 mph. Near 100% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches expected. Locations a few miles to the southeast of downtown Otto could receive 3 or 4 inches of rainfall today.

TONIGHT (Flood Watch)

Cloudy, rainy and foggy. Lows in the lower 50s and winds out of the east. Near 100% chance of rain. Rainfall accumulations between three-quarters of an inch and one inch is expected.

TUESDAY (Flood Watch until 8 am)

Cloudy and rainy. Highs in the low-to-mid 60s with variable light winds. 80% chance of rain with thunderstorms possible beginning in the late morning hours. Rainfall accumulations between a tenth and a quarter of an inch is expected with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Cloudy with lows near 50 and winds out of the northwest. 30% chance of showers.

WEDNESDAY

Mostly sunny with highs near 70. 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the mid-40s and winds out of the northwest. 30% chance of showers.

---------------------------------------------
HIGHLANDS AREA

TODAY (Flood Watch)

Cloudy, foggy and rainy. Highs near 50. Winds 20 to 25 mph out of the southeast with gusts as high as 40 mph. 100% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches expected. More is possible in isolated spots in the southeastern portion of the county.

TONIGHT (Flood Watch)

Cloudy, foggy and rainy. Lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds 15 to 20 mph out of the southeast with gusts near 30 mph. Near 100% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible. Isolated locations to the southeast of Highlands could receive an inch or two more.

TUESDAY (Flood Watch until 8 am)

Foggy in the morning. Cloudy with highs in the mid-50s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the south. 80% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch expected.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest. 30% chance of showers.

WEDNESDAY

Mostly sunny with highs near 60. 30% chance of showers.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near the lower 40s. 30% chance of showers.

--------------------------------------------
NANTAHALA AREA

TODAY (Flood Watch)

Cloudy, rainy, and foggy. Highs in the lower 50s. Winds 20 to 25 mph out of the southeast with gusts as high as 40 mph. Near 100% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between half and three-quarters of an inch expected and more is possible on southeastward-facing slopes.

TONIGHT (Flood Watch)

Cloudy, foggy, and rainy. Lows near 50 and winds 10 to 15 mph out of the southeast with gusts near 25 mph. 90% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch expected.

TUESDAY (Flood Watch until 8 am)

Patchy fog in the morning. Cloudy with highs in the upper 50s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the south. 80% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch expected. Rain should mostly end by noon with lingering showers possible.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the upper 40s and winds out of the northwest.

WEDNESDAY

Partly sunny with highs near 60. 30% chance of showers.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the lower 40s. 30% chance of showers.

----------------------------------------


GOES 16 - Band 15 - 12.3 µm - Dirty Longwave Window - IR
11:57 pm last night am to 2:52 am this morning


HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not expected today.

Heavy rainfall with flooding is through Tuesday morning, especially in the southeastern section of the county. Most of the heavier rains will be to our south and southeast. Runoff from these rains could cause streams and rivers to flood. Also, please be careful on the roads during this rain event. Heavy rains will cause rainfall and runoff to pond on area roads and properties that do not have sufficient drainage for heavy rains. Turn on your headlights so other motorists can see you and increase your following distance so you will have more time to react if they have troubles on the road related to the weather. Be on the lookout for downed power lines and debris on the roads.

Macon County is under a flood watch and copy of it is posted below for your convenience:

***Flood Watch***
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
1030 PM EDT Sun Apr 22 2018

...HEAVY RAINFALL EARLY MONDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT MAY PRODUCE FLOODING ACROSS PARTS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

.A low-pressure system approaching from the west will be accompanied by abundant moisture. Strong southeasterly winds ahead of the system will wring out very heavy rainfall across the eastern slopes of the southern Appalachians and the adjacent foothills early Monday morning and possibly lingering through Monday night. The duration of moderate to heavy rainfall may produce flooding along streams, creeks, and main stem rivers within the Watch area. Longer duration flooding along main stem rivers could linger into mid-week.


...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...



* Abundant moisture ahead of a low-pressure system slowly approaching from the west will yield heavy rainfall across the eastern slopes of the southern Appalachians and adjacent foothill areas through at least Monday night. Rainfall totals of 3 to 4 inches are expected in many of these locations, with localized 4 to 6 inch amounts in the most upslope preferred areas of the eastern slopes of the mountains.

* Flooding may develop along streams, creeks, and main stem rivers, especially through the day on Monday. Flooding is most likely along the upper reaches of the French Broad River and associated tributaries. This Flood Watch may need to be expanded into adjacent piedmont areas if rainfall amounts end up higher in those locations. Additionally, flooding from the heavy rainfall could linger into Tuesday or beyond, especially along any main stem rivers that flood.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts of heavy rainfall.

You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Consider moving vehicles and other property from known, flood-prone areas. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take quick action should flooding develop, including fleeing to higher ground.

Macon Media maintains a Severe Weather Preparedness Page at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/p/breaking-news-hub.html for those who are interested.

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



2:52 am this morning



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 graphics. 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.

FRANKLIN BIRD CLUB

April 25th Annual Birding Trip to Standing Indian

John and Cathy Sill will lead their annual birding trip to the Standing Indian area.
Meet at the Kmart parking lot (Westgate Plaza in Franklin) at 8:00 am to carpool up to Standing Indian with a few stops along the way.
Please sign up at 828-524-5234.

REVIVAL TO START WITH COVERED DISH SUPPER
Patton United Methodist Church, 119 Patton Church Road Franklin, will be starting their Revival this Sunday the 22nd at 6.30pm, with a covered dish supper beforehand at 5.30pm.
Pastor Dugar Strickland from Maysville Methodist Church in Maysville, GA will be leading their Revival. It will continue on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7pm.


OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

I am writing to thank the residents of Franklin, Highlands, and Macon County for spreading joy to children around the world this Christmas. Through the generosity of the Macon County community, 4,636 shoeboxes were collected; and the Western North Carolina Area Team was able to exceed our goal by collecting 20,038 shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind. The International total for 2017 was 11,012,840 shoeboxes!

As National Volunteer Week (April 15 – 21) approaches, I wanted to pass along information about an opportunity for Macon County residents to join a local volunteer team with Operation Christmas Child. This project of the international Christian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, sends gift-filled shoeboxes to millions of children in need each year and gives local residents the opportunity to make a worldwide impact. “National Volunteer Week is a great time to become a part of this international project,” said June Trull, who heads up the Western North Carolina Area Team of Operation Christmas Child.“Joining an Operation Christmas Child Area Team is an amazing way to give back year-round and share God’s love with children in need.”



Operation Christmas Child has delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries since 1993. This year, the local Western North Carolina Area Team hopes to collect 21,000 shoebox gifts to contribute to the 2018 global goal of reaching more than 11 million children in need.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Thank You
Brenda Hackett
Samaritan's Purse
Media Support
Western North Carolina Area Team
Operation Christmas Child
828-369-6674/ bjandhack@hotmail.com
samaritanspurse.org/occnewsroom



COMMUNITY WALK ON THE GREENWAY

The Friends of the Greenway invites the community to participate in a "Walk on the Greenway" on April 21, 2018 at 10:30 AM beginning at the Macon County Library (on Siler Rd). Sunny Himes will lead about a 2 mile walk, highlighting several natural communities including a Red Cedar-Hardwood Woodland, Montane Alluvial Forest, and Floodplain wetlands. Discussion points will be historic and current uses of the land around the Greenway, how these uses shaped today's terrain and plant community compositions, and the challenges of wildland restoration in a popular urban park. Ms. Himes is a lecturer at Western Carolina University in botany, ecology and introduction biology. She is a past FROG Board member and continues to manage restoration projects on the Greenway. A $5 donation is suggested for this benefit walk. Send email of your interest in participating on the walk to: frog28734@gmail.com.




From Bully to Buddy, A Community Forum
Please note this forum is now taking place on the 26th of April

Bullying affects us all in different ways. Let’s work this out together.
Sincere invitations to the bully, the bullied and those in between — all ages — all genders Featuring: interaction, role playing, dialogue, discovery and direction (and some fun!)

This forum will be taking place on Wednesday, April 26 at 6 PM - 8 PM
pin in Tartan Hall at First Presbyterian Church, 26 Church Street, Franklin, NC

Join the event page on Facebook to find out more and to receive updates. [LINK]




Uptown Gallery classes
(These are on-going classes – repeat weekly)

Free classes and open studio times are being offered at the The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session every Tuesday from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm or on Thursday from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. 

Bring your own materials and join an on-going drawing course led by gallery artists on Fridays, from 11am – 2 pm. For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at (828) 349 – 4607.




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 6:24 a.m.
Sunrise 6:51 a.m.
Sun transit 1:32 p.m. (67.5°) (93.470 million miles away)
Sunset 8:12 p.m.
End civil twilight 8:39 p.m.

Day length 13 hours 21 minutes 21 seconds +2minutes 00 seconds from yesterday


Moon

Moonset 3:02 am
Moonrise 1:46 pm
Transit 8:50 pm (70.4°)
Distance 231,268 miles
Illumination 62.8%



Sky Guides for this week


Sky and Telescope Magazine 
Astronomy Magazine


There will be three solar and two lunar eclipses in 2018. [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]

CROWDFUNDING 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. 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

3:41 am on April 23, 2018

#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.