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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
Windy for this Christmas Day, with mostly dry conditions and well above normal temperatures into early next week. However, isolated to scattered light showers are possible along the western North Carolina mountains today into early Sunday as a front tracks towards the area from the west. The next system with significant rain may arrive middle to late next week.
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Sunday Night
Franklin area
Christmas Day
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the morning shifting to come out of the southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Tonight
A 20 percent chance of showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 40s. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 6 mph.
Sunday
Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs near 70. Calm winds.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Calm winds.
Monday
A 20 percent chance of showers after 10am. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Calm winds in the morning increasing t come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50.
Highlands Plateau
Christmas Day
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Tonight
A 20 percent chance of showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 40s. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 6 mph.
Sunday
Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs near 70. Calm winds.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Calm winds.
Monday
A 20 percent chance of showers after 10am. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50.
Otto area
Christmas Day
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph early increasing to come out of the west iby midorning.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Light and variable winds.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Calm winds.
Monday
A 20 percent chance of showers after 10am. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50.
Nantahala area
Christmas Day
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph shifting to come out of the west by midmorning.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Light and variable winds.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Calm winds.
Monday
A 20 percent chance of showers after 10am. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
Gusty southwest winds will develop by the morning hours on Christmas day and likely peak by noon. Occasional wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph will be possible through the day, mainly at elevations above 3500 feet. Loose objects may be blown about.
Wind Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
344 AM EST Sat Dec 25 2021
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 1 AM EST SUNDAY ABOVE 3500 FEET...
* WHAT...West winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected.
* WHERE...Portions of western North Carolina above 3500 ft.
* WHEN...From 7 AM this morning to 1 AM EST Sunday.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, including holiday decorations. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.
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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-medium range (2.8 out of 12) today with Juniper being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (1.3 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 25th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 74°F in Franklin in 1955
lowest Temperature -11°F in Highlands in 1983
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.37 inches in Highlands in 1926
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 6.0 inches in Highlands in 1947
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]
• 'I know we've made a difference,' volunteer says after 9,000 COVID vaccinations in WNC [WLOS-TV]
• Could it be COVID-19 omicron variant symptoms or the flu? How to know when to get tested [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• 18 state workers fired under order mandating COVID shot or test [WRAL-TV]
• Making flooded homes livable [The Mountaineer]
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National and World News Roundup
CMC Holiday House Tour 2021
• Satellite images show Russia still building up forces near Ukraine [Reuters]
• Detroit Police commissioner removed from towing committee after downplaying bribery [WXYZ-TV]
• US Marines among 12 apprehended in Okinawa for drug smuggling [The Mainichi]
• Russia says Molotov cocktail thrown at its Ukraine consulate [Al Jazeera]
• Two Georgia poll workers sue One America News, Giuliani over debunked fraud claims [Reuters]
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - December 24th, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 24th, 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.
Ep 83 Osterholm Update COVID 19: On Viral Time
• Monitoring COVID-19 Variants
[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
[Outbreak.info]
• CDC Releases Emergency Guidance for Healthcare Facilities to Prepare for Potential Omicron Surge [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
• COVID-19 case rates by county in 2021 [AXIOS]
• UK says 14 deaths and 129 hospitalised by Omicron [Reuters]
• Charts: Covid hospitalizations are rising across the country, even in high-vaccination states [NBC News]
• Uncounted: Inaccurate death certificates across the country hide the true toll of COVID-19 [Missouri Independent]
• Experts say natural immunity isn’t an effective alternative to COVID vaccine [WAOW-TV]
• Striking antibody evasion manifested by the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 [Nature (PDF)]
• 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
Live Stream: James Webb Space Telescope Launch
• James Webb Space Telescope Launch — Official NASA Broadcast [Youtube]
• Moscow court fines Google nearly $100 million for failing to delete 'illegal' content [France 24]
• Beatles documentary Get Back used custom AI to strip unwanted sound [New Scientist]
• Hyundai Motor Group Shuts Down Engine Development Center [Business Korea]
• TikTok ousts Google to become favourite online destination [BBC News]
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On This Day
December 25th is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; six 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)
36 – Forces of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han, under the command of Wu Han, conquer the separatist Chengjia empire, reuniting China.
274 – A temple to Sol Invictus is dedicated in Rome by Emperor Aurelian.
• [Wikipedia: Sol Invictus]
• [Myth: Christmas and Sol Invictus]
• [Did Christmas Copy the Sun God's Birthday?]
333 – Roman Emperor Constantine the Great elevates his youngest son Constans to the rank of Caesar.
336 – First documentary sign of Christmas celebration in Rome.
• [Wikipedia: Christmas]
• [TOP TEN Christmas Traditions (& their Origin Stories)]
• [Christmas Before Christ: Yule & Other Northern European Traditions]
350 – Vetranio meets Constantius II at Naissus (Serbia) and is forced to abdicate his title (Caesar). Constantius allows him to live as a private citizen on a state pension.
508 – Clovis I, king of the Franks, is baptized into the Catholic faith at Reims, by Saint Remigius.
597 – Augustine of Canterbury and his fellow-labourers baptise in Kent more than 10,000 Anglo-Saxons.
800 – The coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor, in Rome.
• [Britannica: Coronation of Charlemagne as emperor]
• [Charlemagne: The Father of Europe]
• [Charlemagne: A New Emperor for Christendom, 800-814]
• [Charlemagne: How He Changed History Forever]
• [Thesis: The Significance of the Coronation of Charlemagne (PDF)]
1000 – The foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary: Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary.
1013 – Sweyn Forkbeard takes control of the Danelaw and is proclaimed king of England.
1025 – Coronation of Mieszko II Lambert as king of Poland.
1046 – Henry III was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement II.
1066 – William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy is crowned king of England, at Westminster Abbey, London.
• [HistoryPod Video]
• [Wikipedia Bio: William the Conqueror]
• [Why a Fire Broke Out at William the Conqueror's Coronation]
• [How the Normans changed the history of Europe - Mark Robinson]
1076 – Coronation of Bolesław II the Generous as king of Poland.
1100 – Baldwin of Boulogne is crowned the first King of Jerusalem in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
1130 – Count Roger II of Sicily is crowned the first king of Sicily.
1261 – Eleven-year-old John IV Laskaris of the restored Eastern Roman Empire is deposed and blinded by orders of his co-ruler Michael VIII Palaiologos.
1492 – The carrack Santa María, commanded by Christopher Columbus, runs onto a reef off Haiti due to an improper watch.
1553 – Battle of Tucapel: Mapuche rebels under Lautaro defeat the Spanish conquistadors and executes the governor of Chile, Pedro de Valdivia.
1559 – Pope Pius IV is elected, four months after his predecessor's death.
1758 – Halley's Comet is sighted by Johann Georg Palitzsch, confirming Edmund Halley's prediction of its passage. This was the first passage of a comet predicted ahead of time.
• [Messier's "Notes on my comets"]
• [VIDEO: Halley's Comet changed humanity. This is how.]
• [Wikipedia: Halley's Comet]
• [A Brief History of Halley’s Comet]
1766 – Mapuches in Chile launch a series of surprise attacks against the Spanish starting the Mapuche uprising of 1766.
1776 – George Washington and the Continental Army cross the Delaware River at night to attack Hessian forces serving Great Britain at Trenton, New Jersey, the next day.
1793 – General "Mad Anthony" Wayne and a 300 man detachment identify the site of St. Clair's 1791 defeat by the large number of unburied human remains at modern Fort Recovery, Ohio.
1809 – Dr. Ephraim McDowell performs the first ovariotomy, removing a 22-pound tumor.
1814 – Rev. Samuel Marsden holds the first Christian service on land in New Zealand at Rangihoua Bay.
1815 – The Handel and Haydn Society, oldest continually performing arts organization in the United States, gives its first performance.
1826 – The Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy concludes after beginning the previous evening.
• [Wikipedia: Eggnog Riot]
• [The Eggnog Riot]
• [The Wildest Christmas Party Ever? - December 24th - TimeGhost of Christmas Past - DAY 1]
1831 – The Great Jamaican Slave Revolt begins; up to 20% of Jamaica's slaves mobilize in an ultimately unsuccessful fight for freedom.
1837 – Second Seminole War: American general Zachary Taylor leads 1,100 troops against the Seminoles at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.
1868 – Pardons for ex-Confederates: United States President Andrew Johnson grants an unconditional pardon to all Confederate veterans.
• [Wikipedia: Pardons for ex-Confederates]
• [Library of Congress: Text of Pardon]
• [C-SPAN: Ex-Confederates and Post-Civil War Pardons]
1914 – A series of unofficial truces occur across the Western Front to celebrate Christmas.
• [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]
1915 – The National Protection War breaks out against the Empire of China, as military leaders Cai E and Tang Jiyao proclaim the independence of Yunnan and begin a campaign to restore the Republic.
1927 – B. R. Ambedkar and his followers burn copies of the Manusmriti in Mahad, Maharashtra, to protest its treatment of Dalit people.
1932 – A magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Gansu, China kills 275 people.
1941 – Admiral Chester W. Nimitz arrives at Pearl Harbor to assume command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.[citation needed]
1941 – World War II: Battle of Hong Kong ends, beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
1941 – Admiral Émile Muselier seizes the archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which become the first part of France to be liberated by the Free French Forces.[citation needed]
1946 – The first European self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction is initiated within the Soviet Union's F-1 nuclear reactor.
1950 – The Stone of Scone, traditional coronation stone of British monarchs, is taken from Westminster Abbey by Scottish nationalist students. It later turns up in Scotland on April 11, 1951.
1951 – A bomb explodes at the home of Harry T. Moore and Harriette V. S. Moore, early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, killing Harry instantly and fatally wounding Harriette.
1962 – The Soviet Union conducts its final above-ground nuclear weapon test, in anticipation of the 1963 Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
1963 – Turkish Cypriot Bayrak Radio begins transmitting in Cyprus after Turkish Cypriots are forcibly excluded from Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
1968 – Apollo program: Apollo 8 performs the first successful Trans-Earth injection (TEI) maneuver, sending the crew and spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth from Lunar orbit.
1968 – Kilvenmani massacre: Forty-four Dalits (untouchables) are burnt to death in Kizhavenmani village, Tamil Nadu, a retaliation for a campaign for higher wages by Dalit laborers.
1976 – EgyptAir Flight 664, a Boeing 707-366C, crashes on approach to Don Mueang International Airport, killing 71 people.
1977 – Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin meets in Egypt with its president Anwar Sadat.
1986 – Iraqi Airways Flight 163, a Boeing 737-270C, is hijacked and crashes in Arar, Saudi Arabia, killing 63 people.
1989 – Romanian Revolution: Deposed President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife, Elena, are condemned to death and executed after a summary trial.
• [Wikipedia: Trial and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu/a>]
• [Death of a Dictator - ABC News - 1990]
• [Romania marks anniversary of Ceausescu execution | DW News]
1991 – Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as President of the Soviet Union (the union itself is dissolved the next day). Ukraine's referendum is finalized and Ukraine officially leaves the Soviet Union.
• [Wikipedia Bio: Mikhail Gorbachev]
• [Gorbachev Resigns: December 25, 1991]
• [Text of Speech]
1999 – Cubana de Aviación Flight 310, a Yakovlev Yak-42, crashes near Bejuma, Carabobo State, Venezuela, killing 22 people.
2003 – UTA Flight 141, a Boeing 727-223, crashes at the Cotonou Airport in Benin, killing 141 people.
2003 – The ill-fated Beagle 2 probe, released from the Mars Express spacecraft on December 19, stops transmitting shortly before its scheduled landing.
2004 – The Cassini orbiter releases Huygens probe which successfully landed on Saturn's moon Titan on January 14, 2005.
• [Huygens Photojournal]
• [Wikipedia: Huygens (spacecraft)]
• [Titan Touchdown]
2012 – An Antonov An-72 plane crashes close to the city of Shymkent, killing 27 people.
2012 – Air Bagan Flight 011, a Fokker 100, crashes on approach to Heho Airport in Heho, Myanmar, killing two people.
2016 – A Russian Defence Ministry Tupolev Tu-154 carrying members of the Alexandrov Ensemble crashes into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff, killing all 92 people on board.
2019 – Twenty people are killed and thousands are left homeless by Typhoon Phanfone in the Philippines.
2020 – An explosion in Nashville, Tennessee occurs, leaving three civilians in the hospital.
• [Wikipedia: 2020 Nashville bombing]
• [The Nashville Bombing: A Timeline]
• [FBI Releases Report on Nashville Bombing]
• [Nashville bombing: First responders, survivors reflect on Christmas Day bombing one year later]
• [Body camera video offers chilling view of the events surrounding Nashville bombing]
• [What we know about the Nashville bombing suspect]
• [Shocking Video of Nashville Christmas Bombing | Rescue Cam | A&E]
• [Nashville’s downtown is still recovering a year after a bombing rocked the area]
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Published at 5:00am on Satuday, December 25, 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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