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Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
Local and StateNews
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
On This Day
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OUTLOOK
Showers will linger during the morning, while drier air filters in by this afternoon from west to east behind a departing cold front. Dry and cold high pressure will build into the region Monday. A Gulf low pressure system will organize on Monday and move to the Carolina coast on Wednesday, possibly supporting showers focused along and south of I-85. Relatively quiet weather with near to above normal temperatures is expected in the last half of the week.
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Monday Night
Franklin area
Today
Scattered showers, mainly before 9am. Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid 20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s. Calm winds.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Calm winds.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Scattered showers, mainly before 9am. Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the north 5 to 10 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. WInds out of teh southeast 3 to 5 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Calm winds in the early evening increasing to come out of the north around 5 mph after midnight.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 40s.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s.
Otto area
Today
Scattered showers, mainly before 9am. Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 50. Light winds out of the south.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Calm winds.
Tuesday
A 20 percent chance of rain after 2pm. Partly sunny, with highs near 50.
Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing.
Nantahala area
Today
Scattered showers, mainly before 9am. Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Monday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Calm winds.
Tuesday
Partly sunny, with highs near 50.
Tuesday
NightPartly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
...Areas of Dense Fog This Morning...
Hazardous weather is not expected today.
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Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the upper range of green for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the upper range of green.
Fire and Smoke Map
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (0.5 out of 12) today with a mixed trace of sources being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (0.3 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 19th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 71°F in Highlands in 1931
lowest Temperature 0°F in Franklin in 1963
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.79 inches in Nantahalas in 1967
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 4.0 inches in Nantahala in 1954
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)
Experiencing Nature Through Expanded Senses
"Friends of the Greenway is hosting an indoor "Experiencing Nature Through Expanded Senses" with leader, Diane Wildermuth. Sessions will be held at FROG Quarters on December 15 at 10:30 AM or 12:30 PM. Contact Diane at 421-5539 or dswnatureguide@outlook.com for additional information or to register."
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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Local and State News
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 15, 2021]
• President's Column: The Most Important Gifts Aren’t Wrapped Up in Boxes, They’re Held in the Heart [Macon Media]
• NC Supreme Court says new trial is in order for man accused of threatening DA [WLOS-TV]
• NC Supreme Court Ruling [2021-NCSC-164 (PDF)]
• Word from the Smokies: Community scientists discover 70-plus new Smokies species [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Plea agreement delayed in Sylva man’s Jan. 6 case [Smoky Mountain News]
• Jackson seeing armadillos take up residence [Sylva Herald]
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National and World News Roundup
Bushcraft Bear: La Palma Volcano Report for December 17th, 2021
The signs of life of the La Palma volcano are getting weaker. Magma “solidifies” inside the volcano.
• The data that shows Boomers are to blame for the labor shortage [CNN]
• Food suppliers blame inflation for price hikes. Lawmakers say they're padding the bill. [NBC News]
• Russian court accidentally documents Moscow’s military presence in Donbas [The Kyiv Independent]
• US Congress passes import ban on Chinese Uyghur region [BBC News]
• High school featured on ESPN is investigated, deemed 'scam' by Ohio Department of Education [ESPN]
U.S. Faces Record Covid Surge As Omicron Variant Spreads - December 18th, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 18th, 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]
• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard [World Health Organization]
Globally, as of 5:51pm CET, 16 December 2021, there have been 271,376,643 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,324,969 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 16 December 2021, a total of 8,337,664,456 vaccine doses have been administered.
In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 5:51pm CET, 16 December 2021, there have been 49,833,416 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 792,371 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 10 December 2021, a total of 465,812,616 vaccine doses have been administered.
• Pressure builds against doctors peddling false virus claims [AP News]
• Covid: Dutch go into Christmas lockdown over Omicron wave [BBC News]
• Harvard will move to remote classes in January [Stamford Advocate]
• OSHA vaccine mandate penalties to start Jan. 10 [Boston Herald]
• Antibody Responses to 3rd Dose mRNA Vaccines in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Residents [MedRxiv (PDF)]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
• The story of the fight to archive the internet [TechRadarE]
• NASA confirms next Friday for Webb Space Telescope launch [AP News]
• Tardigrade is first multicellular organism to be quantum entangled [NewScientist] [PDF]
• The war over Chinese Wikipedia is a warning for the open internet [Fast Company]
• Killer Robots Aren't Science Fiction. A Push to Ban Them is Growing. [Yahoo! NewsE]
• How to Bypass Blocked Sites and Internet Restrictions [Make Use Of]
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On This Day
December 19th is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 12 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)
1271 – Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan" (å…ƒ yuán), officially marking the start of the Yuan dynasty of Mongolia and China.
• [Wikipedia: Yuan dynasty]
• [THE RISE OF THE YUAN DYNASTY - MONGOL CONQUEST OF CHINA]
• [Kublai Khan: China’s Mongol Emperor]
1154 – Henry II of England is crowned at Westminster Abbey.
1187 – Pope Clement III is elected.
1490 – Anne, Duchess of Brittany, is married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor by proxy.
1562 – The Battle of Dreux takes place during the French Wars of Religion.
1606 – The ships Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery depart England carrying settlers who founded, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States.
1675 – The Great Swamp Fight, a pivotal battle in King Philip's War, gives the English settlers a bitterly won victory.
1776 – Thomas Paine publishes one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled "The American Crisis".
1777 – American Revolutionary War: George Washington's Continental Army goes into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
1796 – French Revolutionary Wars: Two British frigates under Commodore Horatio Nelson and two Spanish frigates under Commodore Don Jacobo Stuart engage in battle off the coast of Murcia.
1828 – Vice President of the United States John C. Calhoun sparks the Nullification Crisis when he anonymously publishes the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, protesting the Tariff of 1828.
1900 – Hopetoun Blunder: The first Governor-General of Australia John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, appoints Sir William Lyne premier of the new state of New South Wales, but he is unable to persuade other colonial politicians to join his government and is forced to resign.
1900 – French parliament votes amnesty for all involved in scandalous army treason trial known as Dreyfus affair.
1907 – Two hundred thirty-nine coal miners die in the Darr Mine Disaster in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania.
1912 – William Van Schaick, captain of the steamship General Slocum which caught fire and killed over one thousand people, is pardoned by U.S. President William Howard Taft after 3+1⁄2 years in Sing Sing prison.
1920 – King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander of Greece and a plebiscite.
1924 – The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is sold in London, England.
1924 – German serial killer Fritz Haarmann is sentenced to death for a series of murders.
1927 – Three Indian revolutionaries, Ram Prasad Bismil, Roshan Singh and Ashfaqulla Khan, are executed by the British Raj for participation in the Kakori conspiracy.
1929 – The Indian National Congress promulgates the Purna Swaraj (the Declaration of the Independence of India).
1932 – BBC World Service begins broadcasting as the BBC Empire Service.
1940 – Risto Ryti, the Prime Minister of Finland, is elected President of the Republic of Finland in a presidential election, which is exceptionally held by the 1937 electoral college.[13][14]
1941 – World War II: Adolf Hitler appoints himself as head of the Oberkommando des Heeres.
1941 – World War II: Limpet mines placed by Italian divers heavily damage HMS Valiant and HMS Queen Elizabeth in Alexandria harbour.
1945 – John Amery, British Fascist, is executed at the age of 33 by the British Government for treason.
1946 – Start of the First Indochina War.
1956 – Irish-born physician John Bodkin Adams is arrested in connection with the suspicious deaths of more than 160 patients. Eventually he is convicted only of minor charges.
1961 – India annexes Daman and Diu, part of Portuguese India.
1967 – Harold Holt, the Prime Minister of Australia, is officially presumed dead.
1972 – Apollo program: The last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Harrison Schmitt, returns to Earth.
1974 – Nelson Rockefeller is sworn in as Vice President of the United States under President Gerald Ford under the provisions of the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
1981 – Sixteen lives are lost when the Penlee lifeboat goes to the aid of the stricken coaster Union Star in heavy seas.
1983 – The original FIFA World Cup trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, is stolen from the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1984 – The Sino-British Joint Declaration, stating that China would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and the United Kingdom would restore Hong Kong to China with effect from July 1, 1997 is signed in Beijing, China by Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher.
1986 – Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, releases Andrei Sakharov and his wife from exile in Gorky.
1995 – The United States Government restores federal recognition to the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Native American tribe.
1997 – SilkAir Flight 185 crashes into the Musi River, near Palembang in Indonesia, killing 104.
1998 – President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives, becoming the second President of the United States to be impeached.
2000 – The Leninist Guerrilla Units wing of the Communist Labour Party of Turkey/Leninist attack a Nationalist Movement Party office in Istanbul, Turkey, killing one person and injuring three.
2001 РA record high barometric pressure of 1,085.6 hectopascals (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Kh̦vsg̦l, Mongolia.
2001 – Argentine economic crisis: December riots: Riots erupt in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2012 – Park Geun-hye is elected the first female president of South Korea.
2013 – Spacecraft Gaia is launched by European Space Agency.
2016 – Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov is assassinated while at an art exhibition in Ankara. The assassin, Mevlüt Mert AltıntaÅŸ, is shot and killed by a Turkish guard.
2016 – A vehicular attack in Berlin, Germany, kills and injures multiple people at a Christmas market.
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Published at 6:00am on Sunday, December 19, 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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