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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
Support Macon Media
OUTLOOK
Mostly dry conditions and above normal temperatures from today through Tuesday. Well above normal temperatures can be expected Christmas weekend as southwesterly flow remains in place. The majority of the forecast area will continue to see dry conditions over the holiday weekend. However, isolated light showers are possible along the western North Carolina mountains Christmas Day as a front tracks towards the area from the west. The next system with significant rain may arrive late next week.
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Sunday Night
Franklin area
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs near 62. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Christmas Eve
Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 40s. Winds out of the south around 5 mph.
Christmas Day
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds early in the morning increasing to come out of the west 5 to 10 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 40s. Winds out of the west 3 to 6 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Light winds out of the northwest.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the west 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Christmas Eve
Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 40s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Christmas Day
Mostly sunny, with highs near 57. West wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 47. West wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs near 61. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 45.
Otto area
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs near 61. Calm winds becoming south southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Christmas Eve
Partly cloudy, with lows around 43. South wind 6 to 8 mph.
Christmas Day
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 23 mph.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 49. West wind around 7 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs near 67. Calm winds becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 46.
Nantahala area
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs near 57. Light south southwest wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon.
Christmas Eve
Partly cloudy, with lows around 45. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Christmas Day
Partly sunny, with highs near 59. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Saturday Night
A slight chance of showers between 9pm and 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 49. West northwest wind around 5 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs near 62. Calm winds.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 46.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
Hazardous weather is not expected today.
Winds out of the southwest will gust to 20 to 30 mph at times on Christmas Day and evening. This may pose a risk to loose outside Christmas decorations, especially if not properly anchored.
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Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the lower range of yellow for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the lower range of yellow.
Fire and Smoke Map
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (1.6 out of 12) today with Juniper being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (1.5 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 24th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 69°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1955
lowest Temperature -7°F in Highlands in 1983
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 5.70 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2015
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 2.0 inches in Franklin in 1873
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]
• Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Dec. 23 [Raleigh News and Observer]
• Omicron should 'concern us all,' says Mission medical chief; nurses call for OSHA safety [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• NC police chief accused of telling cops how to get fake vaccine cards. He’s suspended [Charlotte Observer]
• Murder suspect found dead and naked in woods after break-ins, stabbing dog, NC cops say [Charlotte Observer]
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National and World News Roundup
CMC Holiday House Tour 2021
• Flynn suit against Jan. 6 committee dismissed over procedural errors [The Hill]
• Judge pauses Ghislaine Maxwell trial deliberations until next week [The Hill]
• NATO must arm Ukraine to repel invasion by Putin’s Russia, says Lithuania [The Times]
• Joan Didion, legendary American writer, dead at 87 [New York Post] [Wikipedia Bio]
• Kim Potter, ex-Minnesota officer, found guilty of manslaughter in death of Daunte Wright [NBC News]
• Two Georgia poll workers sue One America News, Giuliani over debunked fraud claims [Reuters]
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - December 23rd, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 23rd, 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 7:05pm CET, 22 December 2021, there have been 275,233,892 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,364,996 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 20 December 2021, a total of 8,387,658,165 vaccine doses have been administered.
In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 7:05pm CET, 22 December 2021, there have been 50,565,638 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 799,942 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 17 December 2021, a total of 478,091,073 vaccine doses have been administered.
• Monitoring COVID-19 Variants
[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
[Outbreak.info]
• Fact Check-Image purporting to show New York Times opinion piece calling for teachers to ‘tolerate bullying towards unvaccinated children’ is digitally altered [Reuters]
Updated Guidance for Clinicians on COVID-19 Vaccines
• More Marines discharged over vaccine refusal, total at 169 [AP News]
• Covid Live Updates: Times Square Keeps New Year’s Celebration, but With a Smaller Crowd [New York Times]
• Trump to Candace Owens: “People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine” [AXIOS]
• 4 workers injured by explosion and fire at Exxon refinery [Courthouse news Service]
• With omicron, it may be harder to tell if you have covid, the common cold or flu [Washington Post]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
• Apache Log4j bug: China’s industry ministry pulls support from Alibaba Cloud for not reporting flaw to government first [South China Morning Post]
• The US Navy is testing out drone-zapping laser weapons [Popular Science]
• Marc Andreessen blocks Jack Dorsey after Web3 spat with Elon Musk [Fortune]
• Chip Shortages Has Forced Sony To Stop Accepting Orders For Some Of Its Cameras [Ubergizmo]
• Somebody built a lickable TV. I repeat: A. Lickable. TV. [Digital Trends]
• Launch Watch Party: Join NASA To Watch the Webb Space Telescope Launch Live [SciTechDaily]
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On This Day
December 24th is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; seven 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)
502 – Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate.
640 – Pope John IV is elected, several months after his predecessor's death.
759 – Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, where he is hosted by fellow poet Pei Di.
820 – Emperor Leo V is assassinated in the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople and is succeeded by Michael II.
1144 – The capital of the crusader County of Edessa falls to Imad ad-Din Zengi, the atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo.
• [Wikipedia: County of Edessa]
• [The Rise of Zengi & The Fall of Edessa (1095-1146) // Crusades Documentary]
• [Wikipedia: Siege of Edessa]
1294 – Pope Boniface VIII is elected, replacing St. Celestine V, who had resigned.
1500 – A joint Venetian–Spanish fleet captures the Castle of St. George on the island of Cephalonia.
1737 – The Marathas defeat the combined forces of the Mughal Empire, Rajputs of Jaipur, Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawab of Awadh and Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Bhopal.
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Bhopal]
1777 – Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, is discovered by James Cook.
1800 – The Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise fails to kill Napoleon Bonaparte.
1814 – Representatives of the United Kingdom and the United States sign the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.
1818 – The first performance of "Silent Night" takes place in the church of St. Nikolaus in Oberndorf, Austria
1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy begins that night, wrapping up the following morning.
• [Wikipedia: Eggnog Riot]
• [The Eggnog Riot]
• [The Wildest Christmas Party Ever? - December 24th - TimeGhost of Christmas Past - DAY 1]
1846 – British acquired Labuan from the Sultanate of Brunei for Great Britain.
1865 – Jonathan Shank and Barry Ownby form The Ku Klux Klan.
1868 – The Greek Presidential Guard is established as the royal escort by King George I.
1871 – The opera Aida premieres in Cairo, Egypt.
• [Wikipedia: Aida]
• [AIDA by Giuseppe Verdi – the opera guide and synopsis]
• [1953 Version with Sophia Loren]
• [2004 Version with Luciano Pavarotti]
• [Discography]
1906 – Reginald Fessenden transmits the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.
1913 – The Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan results in the deaths of 73 Christmas party participants (including 59 children) when someone falsely yells "fire".
• [Wikipedia: Italian Hall disaster]
• [The Italian Hall Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror]
• [1913 Italian Hall Disaster was a Michigan Christmas Eve tragedy]
1914 – World War I: The "Christmas truce" begins.
• [Wikipedia: Christmas truce]
• [SABATON - Christmas Truce (Official Music Video)]
• [WW1 Christmas Truce: Silent Night - Extra History - #1]
• [WW1 Christmas Truce: Letters from the Trenches - Extra History - #2]
• [Christmas Truce of World War I - Joyeux Noel 2005 film]
• [The Remarkable Story Of The Christmas Truce | WW1 Christmas Truce | Timeline]
• [Christmas Truce WWI: The Real Story Behind 1914's Most Famous Event | History Hit | War Stories]
1918 – Region of Međimurje is captured by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from Hungary.
1920 – Gabriele D'Annunzio surrendered the Italian Regency of Carnaro in the city of Fiume to Italian armed forces.
1924 – Albania becomes a republic.
1929 – Assassination attempt on Argentine President Hipólito Yrigoyen.
1929 – A four alarm fire breaks out in the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C.
1939 – World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
1941 – World War II: Kuching is conquered by Japanese forces.
1941 – World War II: Benghazi is conquered by the British Eighth Army.
1942 – World War II: French monarchist, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, assassinates Vichy French Admiral François Darlan in Algiers, Algeria.
1943 – World War II: U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower is named Supreme Allied Commander for the Invasion of Normandy.
1944 – World War II: The Belgian Troopship Leopoldville was torpedoed and sank with the loss of 763 soldiers and 56 crew.
1951 – Libya becomes independent. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
1952 – First flight of Britain's Handley Page Victor strategic bomber.
1953 – Tangiwai disaster: In New Zealand's North Island, at Tangiwai, a railway bridge is damaged by a lahar and collapses beneath a passenger train, killing 151 people.
1964 – Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.
1964 – Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 crashes after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport, killing three.
1966 – A Canadair CL-44 chartered by the United States military crashes into a small village in South Vietnam, killing 129.
1968 – Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures.
• [Wikipedia: Apollo 8 Genesis reading]
• [Apollo 8 - Book Of Genesis Reading (December 24, 1968)]
• [Frank Borman and Jim Lovell discuss the Christmas 1968 Genesis Reading]
1969 – Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
1971 – LANSA Flight 508 is struck by lighting and crashes in the Puerto Inca District in the Department of Huánuco in Peru, killing 91.
1973 – District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
1974 – Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
1994 – Air France Flight 8969 is hijacked on the ground at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers, Algeria. Over the course of three days three passengers are killed, as are all four terrorists.
1996 – A Learjet 35 crashes into Smarts Mountain near Dorchester, New Hampshire, killing both pilots on board.
1997 – The Sid El-Antri massacre in Algeria kills between 50 and 100 people.
1999 – Indian Airlines Flight 814 is hijacked in Indian airspace between Kathmandu, Nepal, and Delhi, India. The aircraft landed at Kandahar in Afghanistan. The incident ended on December 31 with the release of 190 survivors (one passenger is killed).
2003 – The Spanish police thwart an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid's busy Chamartín Station.
2005 – Chad–Sudan relations: Chad declares a state of war against Sudan following a December 18 attack on Adré, which left about 100 people dead.
2008 – The Lord's Resistance Army, a Ugandan rebel group, begins a series of attacks against civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, massacring more than 400.
2018 – A helicopter crash kills Martha Érika Alonso, first female Governor of Puebla, Mexico, and her husband Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas, former governor.
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Published at 5:00am on Friday, December 24, 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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