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Local News
Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
On This Day
Support Macon Media
OUTLOOK
A cold front will cross the region from the west today, bringing some precipitation mainly to the mountains. Cool high pressure will build in tonight through Tuesday night, but with moisture beginning to return from the south. A moist low pressure system crosses the southeast on Wednesday with dry high pressure returning Thursday into Friday. Another active cold front will arrive from the west on Saturday.
**Weather Alert**
A cold front will cross the North Carolina mountains today and increase winds from the southwest. Expect wind gusting in the range of 35 to 45 miles per hour above 4000 feet through the early afternoon. Unsecured objects may be blown around and a few small or dead trees could also be knocked down. This will also make outdoor burning a very hazardous undertaking. This front will also bring a chance of thunderstorms with cloud to ground lighting being the main threat. ...OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT...
The state of North Carolina has issued a state-wide burn ban.
[Press Release]
Town of Franklin Declares a Fire Danger Emergency
Town of Franklin Declares a Fire Danger Emergency
[Press Release]
---BEGIN SPONSOR SEGMENT---
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 you with your next project.
---END SPONSOR SEGMENT------
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Local and State News
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 15, 2021]
• Flags Lowered to Half-Staff to Honor Bob Dole [Macon Media]
• Brasstown Ringers to Perform Christmas Concert Series [Macon Media]
• Cooper vetoes election bill that would end grace period for NC’s mail-in ballots [News and Observer/a>]
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Wednesday Night
Franklin area
Today
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming calm after midnight. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Sunny, with highs in trhe mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Calm winds.
Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly before 3pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 50s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Showers likely, mainly between noon and 5pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the southwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 2pm. Sunny, with highs in the mid 40s. Light winds out of the south.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Light winds out of the southeast.
Wednesday
A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 40s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing.
Otto area
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the north 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 3pm. Sunny, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 30s. Calm winds.
Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly before 3pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing.
Nantahala area
Today
Showers, mainly before 5pm. Highs near 60. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 30s. Calm winds.
Wednesday
A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 40s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid 30s.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
A cold front will cross the North Carolina mountains today and increase winds from the southwest. Expect wind gusting in the range of 35 to 45 miles per hour above 4000 feet through the early afternoon. Unsecured objects may be blown around and a few small or dead trees could also be knocked down. This will also make outdoor burning a very hazardous undertaking. This front will also bring a chance of thunderstorms with cloud to ground lighting being the main threat.
...OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
The state of North Carolina has issued a state wide burn ban due to the very dry conditions and exceptionally dry fuels. This burn ban is expected to remain in place until significant rain occurs.
Outdoor burning is prohibited. Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities for further information. [Press Release]
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Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the middle range of yellow for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the middle range of yellow.
Fire and Smoke Map
Local Air Monitor
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (0.8 out of 12) today with Ragweed and various Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (0.8 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 6th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 72°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1998 lowest Temperature 4°F in Highlands in 1937 Greatest One-Day Rainfall 2.88 inches in Highlands in 2013 Greatest One-Day Snowfall 3.0 inches in Nantahala in 1937
Record weather events for December in Macon County
Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on Dec 31, 1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on Dec 30, 1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands on Dec 14, 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on Dec 21, 1876
All-time record weather events for Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on Jan 21, 1985
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Mar 13, 1993
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is back in 2021! The 1¼ hour round-trip passenger excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot. For tickets, see [GSMR.com]
Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries
Adapted from an old Scandinavian custom of lighting the way for the Christ child, more than 2,500 candles in small white bags line the streets and every storefront is aglow with Christmas lights and decorations. Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music on Front Street. For more information, see [Visit Dillsboro]
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National and World News Roundup
• Bob Dole, giant of the Senate and 1996 Republican presidential nominee, dies [CNN Politics]
• Witty and to the Point, Dole Embodied ‘Shared Values’ in Washington [New York Times]
Bob Dole remarks upon receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1997)
Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) Complete Farewell Address
• Students arrested for making threats, bringing loaded guns to Alabama schools [WSFA-TV]
Bushcraft Bear: La Palma Volcano Report for December 5th, 2021
• Epstein’s dark legend wraps Maxwell trial in web of conspiracy theories [The Guardian]
• Better.com CEO fires 900 employees over Zoom [CNN Business]
• Aung San Suu Kyi: Myanmar court sentences ousted leader to four years jail [BBC News]
• Indonesia volcano eruption death toll rises [Al Jazeera]
• Sweden’s Lund University researcher faces prosecution for study that showed most rapes are committed by immigrants [Opindia]
• Here’s Why You Aren’t Allowed to Watch the Ghislaine Maxwell Trial [Foundation for Economic Freedom]
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - December 5th, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 5th, 2021
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Since it looks like we may be in for a new wave of infections, here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 18, 2021]
• Facebook uncovers Chinese network behind fake expert [BBC News]
• TWiV 838: The magic virus bus [Microbe TV - This Week in Virology]
• The Coronavirus in a Tiny Drop [New York Times]
Dr John Campbell: Latest data, looking good
• Protest against coronavirus restrictions turns violent in Brussels [Reuters]
• Parents knowingly send COVID-positive child to class, forcing 75 NorCal students into quarantine [KABC-TV]
• ‘Encouraging’ early feedback on Omicron severity: Dr Fauci [Al Jazeera]
• Gov. Jared Polis: “Misinformation and targeted lies” hindering vaccine efforts, killing Coloradans [The Burlington Record]
• Protection and waning of natural and hybrid COVID-19 immunity [MedRxiv (PDF)]
• Comparing COVID-19 vaccines for their characteristics, efficacy and effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern: a narrative review [Clinical Microbiology and Infection]
• Neurobiology of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with the peripheral nervous system: implications for COVID-19 and pain [International Association for the Study of Pain]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
• 62 free books for December 5th 2021 (some of these are "read for free, not free to keep" [The Free eBook Newsletter]
• What is malware? Everything you need to know about viruses, trojans and malicious software [ZD NEt]
Scott Manley: NASA's New Space Stations, Upgraded Boosters And Other News - Deep Space Updates December 5th 2021
• Arianespace launches Galileo navigation satellites in final mission before Webb [Spaceflight Now]
• AI Is Discovering Patterns in Pure Mathematics That Have Never Been Seen Before [Science Alert]
Marcus House: Starship Tower Construction Begins at Cape Canaveral, Rocket Lab Neutron Update, Starlink Version 2
• ‘Shatner In Space’: William Shatner’s Space Flight Documented In Amazon Special [Deadline]
• Bitcoin explained: How do cryptocurrencies work? [BBC News]
• Amazon is making its own containers and bypassing supply chain chaos with chartered ships and long-haul planes [CNBC]
• Stanford launches first class taught completely in virtual reality [The Stanford Daily]
• The FTC Sues Nvidia to Block Its Historic Deal With Arm [WIRED]
• U.S. Indicts Two Men for Running a $20 Million YouTube Content ID Scam [Torrent Freak]
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On This Day
December 6th is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 25 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
963 – Pope Leo VIII is appointed to the office of Protonotary and begins his papacy as antipope of Rome.
1060 – Béla I is crowned king of Hungary.
1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv under Daniel of Galicia and Voivode Dmytro falls to the Mongols under Batu Khan.
1492 – After exploring island of Cuba for gold, surmising it for Japan, Columbus lands on island similar to Castile, naming it Hispaniola.
1534 – The city of Quito in Ecuador is founded by Spanish settlers led by Sebastián de Belalcázar.
1648 – Colonel Thomas Pride of the New Model Army purges the Long Parliament of MPs sympathetic to King Charles I of England, in order for the King's trial to go ahead; came to be known as "Pride's Purge".
1704 – Battle of Chamkaur: During the Mughal-Sikh Wars, an outnumbered Sikh Khalsa defeats a Mughal army.
1745 – Charles Edward Stuart's army begins retreat during the second Jacobite Rising.
1790 – The U.S. Congress moves from New York City to Philadelphia.
1803 – Five French warships attempting to escape the Royal Naval blockade of Saint-Domingue are all seized by British warships, signifying the end of the Haitian Revolution.
1865 – Georgia ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
1882 – Transit of Venus, second and last of the 19th century.
1884 – The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., is completed.
1897 – London becomes the world's first city to host licensed taxicabs.
1904 – Theodore Roosevelt articulated his "Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the U.S. would intervene in the Western Hemisphere should Latin American governments prove incapable or unstable.
1907 – A coal mine explosion at Monongah, West Virginia, kills 362 workers.
1912 – The Nefertiti Bust is discovered.
1916 – World War I: The Central Powers capture Bucharest.
1917 – Finland declares independence from the Russian Empire.
1917 – Halifax Explosion: A munitions explosion near Halifax, Nova Scotia kills more than 1,900 people in the largest artificial explosion up to that time.
1917 – World War I: USS Jacob Jones is the first American destroyer to be sunk by enemy action when it is torpedoed by German submarine SM U-53.
1921 – The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed in London by British and Irish representatives.
1922 – One year to the day after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Irish Free State comes into existence.
1928 – The government of Colombia sends military forces to suppress a month-long strike by United Fruit Company workers, resulting in an unknown number of deaths.
1933 – U.S. federal judge John M. Woolsey rules that James Joyce's novel Ulysses is not obscene.
1941 – World War II: Camp X opens in Canada to begin training Allied Secret Agents for the War.
1956 – A violent water polo match between Hungary and the USSR takes place during the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, against the backdrop of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
1957 – Project Vanguard: A launchpad explosion of Vanguard TV3 thwarts the first United States attempt to launch a satellite into Earth orbit.
1967 – Adrian Kantrowitz performs the first human heart transplant in the United States.
1969 – Altamont Free Concert: At a free concert performed by the Rolling Stones, eighteen-year old Meredith Hunter is stabbed to death by Hells Angels security guards.
1971 – Pakistan severs diplomatic relations with India, initiating the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
1973 – The Twenty-fifth Amendment: The United States House of Representatives votes 387–35 to confirm Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States. (On November 27, the Senate confirmed him 92–3.)
1975 – The Troubles: Fleeing from the police, a Provisional IRA unit takes a British couple hostage in their flat on Balcombe Street, London, beginning a six-day siege.
1977 – South Africa grants independence to Bophuthatswana, although it is not recognized by any other country.
1978 – Spain ratifies the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in a referendum.
1982 – The Troubles: The Irish National Liberation Army bombs a pub frequented by British soldiers in Ballykelly, Northern Ireland, killing eleven soldiers and six civilians.
1989 – The École Polytechnique massacre (or Montreal Massacre): Marc Lépine, an anti-feminist gunman, murders 14 young women at the École Polytechnique in Montreal.
1990 – A military jet of the Italian Air Force, abandoned by its pilot after an on-board fire, crashed into a high school near Bologna, Italy, killing 12 students and injuring 88 other people.
1991 – Yugoslav Wars: In Croatia, forces of the Serb-dominated Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) bombard Dubrovnik after laying siege to the city for seven months.
1992 – The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, is demolished, leading to widespread riots causing the death of over 1,500 people.
1997 – A Russian Antonov An-124 Ruslan cargo plane crashes into an apartment complex near Irkutsk, Siberia, killing 67.
1998 – in Venezuela, Hugo Chávez is victorious in presidential elections.
1999 – A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.: The Recording Industry Association of America sues the peer-to-peer file-sharing service Napster, alleging copyright infringement.
2005 – An Iranian Air Force C-130 military transport aircraft crashes into a ten-floor apartment building in a residential area of Tehran, killing all 94 on board and 12 more on the ground.
2006 – NASA reveals photographs taken by Mars Global Surveyor suggesting the presence of liquid water on Mars.
2015 – Venezuelan parliamentary election: For the first time in 17 years, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela loses its majority in parliament.
2017 – Donald Trump's administration officially announces the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
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Support Macon Media
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. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.
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Published at 5:00am on Monday, December 06, 2021
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac 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, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top
---BEGIN SPONSOR SEGMENT---
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 you with your next project.
---END SPONSOR SEGMENT------
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Local and State News
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 15, 2021]
• Flags Lowered to Half-Staff to Honor Bob Dole [Macon Media]
• Brasstown Ringers to Perform Christmas Concert Series [Macon Media]
• Cooper vetoes election bill that would end grace period for NC’s mail-in ballots [News and Observer/a>]
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Wednesday Night
Franklin area
Today
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming calm after midnight. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Sunny, with highs in trhe mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Calm winds.
Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly before 3pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 50s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Showers likely, mainly between noon and 5pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy, with highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the southwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 2pm. Sunny, with highs in the mid 40s. Light winds out of the south.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Light winds out of the southeast.
Wednesday
A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 40s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing.
Otto area
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the north 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 3pm. Sunny, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 30s. Calm winds.
Wednesday
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly before 3pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing.
Nantahala area
Today
Showers, mainly before 5pm. Highs near 60. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tonight
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 30s. Calm winds.
Wednesday
A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 40s.
Wednesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid 30s.
Back to Top
Hazards and Tropical Weather
A cold front will cross the North Carolina mountains today and increase winds from the southwest. Expect wind gusting in the range of 35 to 45 miles per hour above 4000 feet through the early afternoon. Unsecured objects may be blown around and a few small or dead trees could also be knocked down. This will also make outdoor burning a very hazardous undertaking. This front will also bring a chance of thunderstorms with cloud to ground lighting being the main threat.
...OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
The state of North Carolina has issued a state wide burn ban due to the very dry conditions and exceptionally dry fuels. This burn ban is expected to remain in place until significant rain occurs.
Outdoor burning is prohibited. Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities for further information. [Press Release]
Back to Top
Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the middle range of yellow for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the middle range of yellow.
Fire and Smoke Map
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (0.8 out of 12) today with Ragweed and various Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (0.8 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 6th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 72°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1998 lowest Temperature 4°F in Highlands in 1937 Greatest One-Day Rainfall 2.88 inches in Highlands in 2013 Greatest One-Day Snowfall 3.0 inches in Nantahala in 1937
Record weather events for December in Macon County
Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on Dec 31, 1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on Dec 30, 1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands on Dec 14, 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on Dec 21, 1876
All-time record weather events for Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on Jan 21, 1985
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Mar 13, 1993
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is back in 2021! The 1¼ hour round-trip passenger excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot. For tickets, see [GSMR.com]
Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries
Adapted from an old Scandinavian custom of lighting the way for the Christ child, more than 2,500 candles in small white bags line the streets and every storefront is aglow with Christmas lights and decorations. Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music on Front Street. For more information, see [Visit Dillsboro]
Back to Top
National and World News Roundup
• Bob Dole, giant of the Senate and 1996 Republican presidential nominee, dies [CNN Politics]
• Witty and to the Point, Dole Embodied ‘Shared Values’ in Washington [New York Times]
Bob Dole remarks upon receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1997)
Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) Complete Farewell Address
• Students arrested for making threats, bringing loaded guns to Alabama schools [WSFA-TV]
Bushcraft Bear: La Palma Volcano Report for December 5th, 2021
• Epstein’s dark legend wraps Maxwell trial in web of conspiracy theories [The Guardian]
• Better.com CEO fires 900 employees over Zoom [CNN Business]
• Aung San Suu Kyi: Myanmar court sentences ousted leader to four years jail [BBC News]
• Indonesia volcano eruption death toll rises [Al Jazeera]
• Sweden’s Lund University researcher faces prosecution for study that showed most rapes are committed by immigrants [Opindia]
• Here’s Why You Aren’t Allowed to Watch the Ghislaine Maxwell Trial [Foundation for Economic Freedom]
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - December 5th, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 5th, 2021
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Since it looks like we may be in for a new wave of infections, here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 18, 2021]
• Facebook uncovers Chinese network behind fake expert [BBC News]
• TWiV 838: The magic virus bus [Microbe TV - This Week in Virology]
• The Coronavirus in a Tiny Drop [New York Times]
Dr John Campbell: Latest data, looking good
• Protest against coronavirus restrictions turns violent in Brussels [Reuters]
• Parents knowingly send COVID-positive child to class, forcing 75 NorCal students into quarantine [KABC-TV]
• ‘Encouraging’ early feedback on Omicron severity: Dr Fauci [Al Jazeera]
• Gov. Jared Polis: “Misinformation and targeted lies” hindering vaccine efforts, killing Coloradans [The Burlington Record]
• Protection and waning of natural and hybrid COVID-19 immunity [MedRxiv (PDF)]
• Comparing COVID-19 vaccines for their characteristics, efficacy and effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern: a narrative review [Clinical Microbiology and Infection]
• Neurobiology of SARS-CoV-2 interactions with the peripheral nervous system: implications for COVID-19 and pain [International Association for the Study of Pain]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
• 62 free books for December 5th 2021 (some of these are "read for free, not free to keep" [The Free eBook Newsletter]
• What is malware? Everything you need to know about viruses, trojans and malicious software [ZD NEt]
Scott Manley: NASA's New Space Stations, Upgraded Boosters And Other News - Deep Space Updates December 5th 2021
• Arianespace launches Galileo navigation satellites in final mission before Webb [Spaceflight Now]
• AI Is Discovering Patterns in Pure Mathematics That Have Never Been Seen Before [Science Alert]
Marcus House: Starship Tower Construction Begins at Cape Canaveral, Rocket Lab Neutron Update, Starlink Version 2
• ‘Shatner In Space’: William Shatner’s Space Flight Documented In Amazon Special [Deadline]
• Bitcoin explained: How do cryptocurrencies work? [BBC News]
• Amazon is making its own containers and bypassing supply chain chaos with chartered ships and long-haul planes [CNBC]
• Stanford launches first class taught completely in virtual reality [The Stanford Daily]
• The FTC Sues Nvidia to Block Its Historic Deal With Arm [WIRED]
• U.S. Indicts Two Men for Running a $20 Million YouTube Content ID Scam [Torrent Freak]
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On This Day
December 6th is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 25 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
963 – Pope Leo VIII is appointed to the office of Protonotary and begins his papacy as antipope of Rome.
1060 – Béla I is crowned king of Hungary.
1240 – Mongol invasion of Rus': Kyiv under Daniel of Galicia and Voivode Dmytro falls to the Mongols under Batu Khan.
1492 – After exploring island of Cuba for gold, surmising it for Japan, Columbus lands on island similar to Castile, naming it Hispaniola.
1534 – The city of Quito in Ecuador is founded by Spanish settlers led by Sebastián de Belalcázar.
1648 – Colonel Thomas Pride of the New Model Army purges the Long Parliament of MPs sympathetic to King Charles I of England, in order for the King's trial to go ahead; came to be known as "Pride's Purge".
1704 – Battle of Chamkaur: During the Mughal-Sikh Wars, an outnumbered Sikh Khalsa defeats a Mughal army.
1745 – Charles Edward Stuart's army begins retreat during the second Jacobite Rising.
1790 – The U.S. Congress moves from New York City to Philadelphia.
1803 – Five French warships attempting to escape the Royal Naval blockade of Saint-Domingue are all seized by British warships, signifying the end of the Haitian Revolution.
1865 – Georgia ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
1882 – Transit of Venus, second and last of the 19th century.
1884 – The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., is completed.
1897 – London becomes the world's first city to host licensed taxicabs.
1904 – Theodore Roosevelt articulated his "Corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the U.S. would intervene in the Western Hemisphere should Latin American governments prove incapable or unstable.
1907 – A coal mine explosion at Monongah, West Virginia, kills 362 workers.
1912 – The Nefertiti Bust is discovered.
1916 – World War I: The Central Powers capture Bucharest.
1917 – Finland declares independence from the Russian Empire.
1917 – Halifax Explosion: A munitions explosion near Halifax, Nova Scotia kills more than 1,900 people in the largest artificial explosion up to that time.
1917 – World War I: USS Jacob Jones is the first American destroyer to be sunk by enemy action when it is torpedoed by German submarine SM U-53.
1921 – The Anglo-Irish Treaty is signed in London by British and Irish representatives.
1922 – One year to the day after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Irish Free State comes into existence.
1928 – The government of Colombia sends military forces to suppress a month-long strike by United Fruit Company workers, resulting in an unknown number of deaths.
1933 – U.S. federal judge John M. Woolsey rules that James Joyce's novel Ulysses is not obscene.
1941 – World War II: Camp X opens in Canada to begin training Allied Secret Agents for the War.
1956 – A violent water polo match between Hungary and the USSR takes place during the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, against the backdrop of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
1957 – Project Vanguard: A launchpad explosion of Vanguard TV3 thwarts the first United States attempt to launch a satellite into Earth orbit.
1967 – Adrian Kantrowitz performs the first human heart transplant in the United States.
1969 – Altamont Free Concert: At a free concert performed by the Rolling Stones, eighteen-year old Meredith Hunter is stabbed to death by Hells Angels security guards.
1971 – Pakistan severs diplomatic relations with India, initiating the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
1973 – The Twenty-fifth Amendment: The United States House of Representatives votes 387–35 to confirm Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States. (On November 27, the Senate confirmed him 92–3.)
1975 – The Troubles: Fleeing from the police, a Provisional IRA unit takes a British couple hostage in their flat on Balcombe Street, London, beginning a six-day siege.
1977 – South Africa grants independence to Bophuthatswana, although it is not recognized by any other country.
1978 – Spain ratifies the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in a referendum.
1982 – The Troubles: The Irish National Liberation Army bombs a pub frequented by British soldiers in Ballykelly, Northern Ireland, killing eleven soldiers and six civilians.
1989 – The École Polytechnique massacre (or Montreal Massacre): Marc Lépine, an anti-feminist gunman, murders 14 young women at the École Polytechnique in Montreal.
1990 – A military jet of the Italian Air Force, abandoned by its pilot after an on-board fire, crashed into a high school near Bologna, Italy, killing 12 students and injuring 88 other people.
1991 – Yugoslav Wars: In Croatia, forces of the Serb-dominated Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) bombard Dubrovnik after laying siege to the city for seven months.
1992 – The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, is demolished, leading to widespread riots causing the death of over 1,500 people.
1997 – A Russian Antonov An-124 Ruslan cargo plane crashes into an apartment complex near Irkutsk, Siberia, killing 67.
1998 – in Venezuela, Hugo Chávez is victorious in presidential elections.
1999 – A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.: The Recording Industry Association of America sues the peer-to-peer file-sharing service Napster, alleging copyright infringement.
2005 – An Iranian Air Force C-130 military transport aircraft crashes into a ten-floor apartment building in a residential area of Tehran, killing all 94 on board and 12 more on the ground.
2006 – NASA reveals photographs taken by Mars Global Surveyor suggesting the presence of liquid water on Mars.
2015 – Venezuelan parliamentary election: For the first time in 17 years, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela loses its majority in parliament.
2017 – Donald Trump's administration officially announces the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
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Published at 5:00am on Monday, December 06, 2021
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac 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, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top
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