Notice

I am working on the template of this blog today in order to chase down some problems that have developed with my template and widgets.

nullspace for future use

nullspace for future use

About

Thursday, January 12, 2023

News and Weather Briefing for Thursday, January 12, 2023



Here is an index to assist you in moving from section to section within the article.

Back to Top
Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
Local and StateNews
Russo-UKrainian War Updates
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
Russo-Ukrainian War Videos (mostly long form)
On This Day
Support Macon Media


GENERAL OUTLOOK

A strong cold front will move through the area this afternoon and evening, bringing rain and thunderstorms. Cold high pressure will build in behind the front on Friday and linger through the weekend, with a warming trend expected early next week. A weaker cold front will likely bring more precipitation on Tuesday, with high pressure returning Wednesday.

2022 Full Year in 5 Minutes US Weather Radar Time Lapse Animation | Radar Time Lapse







---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, we̢۪ll help you with your next project.





DAY SPONSOR

Macon Media is being underwritten today by Franklin Health and Fitness, home of #ResultsForEveryone. Try FHF with a FREE 3-Day Guest Pass! To claim your pass, and to learn more about Franklin Health and Fitness, visit franklinhealthandfitness.com.

---END SPONSOR SEGMENT------




Back to Top
Local Weather

General Forecast Through Saturday Night





Franklin Area

Today

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Highs near 60. Light winds out of the southeast early in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers, mainly before 1am. Lows around freezing. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph decreasing and shifting to come out of the northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Friday Night

A slight chance of snow showers between 9pm and 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday

Sunny, with highs in the lower 40s.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with lows around 20.
Highlands Plateau

Today

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Patchy fog. Highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Tonight

A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 3am. Patchy fog before 9pm, then patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Winds out of the southwest 15 to 20 mph in the early evening shifting to come out of the northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday

Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with highs near freezing. Winds out of the northwest 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows in the lower 20s. Winds out of the northwest 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.

Saturday

Sunny, with highs in the mid 30s. Windy.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with lows around 20.


Otto and South Central Macon County

Today

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Patchy fogbefore midmorning. Highs near 60. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight

A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 3am. Patchy fog before 7pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph early in the evening shifting to come out of the northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 20s. Winds out of the northwest 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Saturday

Sunny, with highs near 40.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s.


Nantahala Area (Winter Storm Warning for Elevation Above 3500ft)

Today

A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Patchy fog after 3pm. Highs in the upper 50s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Patchy fog before midnight, then patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph early in the evening shifting to come out of the northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 8am, then a chance of snow showers. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid 30s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Friday Night

A 50 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 5am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid 30s.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the lower 20s.






Back to Top
Hazards and Tropical Weather

A strong cold front will bring some strong to severe storms to the region this afternoon and evening. The main threats will be from locally damaging wind gusts, along with isolated brief tornadoes.

Lingering moisture and cold air moving into the mountains will create the potential for snow showers late Thursday night through Friday night. Accumulations would mainly be limited to the higher elevations near the Tennessee border.



Latest US Drought Monitor Map for North Carolina.

Space Weather The X-Factor Returns with Radio Blackouts and Storms for Solar Probe | Space Weather News 01.09.2023




Back to Top TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

• Damaging 2022 Atlantic hurricane season draws to a close [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]

• Atlantic hurricane season ends with 14 named storms [AP News]




Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
700 PM EST Wed Nov 30 2022

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days.

This is the last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2023. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.



Back to Top
Almanac

24 Hour Smoke Forecast

No known appreciable smoke field will be crossing Macon County today or tonight.















PM2.5 AQI is 55 (MODERATE) for most of the county, and the ridges and other higher elevations PM2.5 AQI is 55 (MODERATE)


Fire and Smoke Map




Local Air Monitor



Pollen

Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (0.4 out of 12) today with Juniper being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (0.9 out of 12).



Record Weather Events for January 12th

Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)

Highest Temperature 70°F in Franklin in 1890
Lowest Temperature -6°F in Highlands in 1895
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 5.10 inches in Highlands in 2018
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 6.2 inches in Highlands in 1996

Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of January Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 78°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 01-28-1999
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on 01-21-1985
Greatest Rainfall 5.10 inches in Highlands on 01-12-2018
Greatest Snowfall 10.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 01-08-1988

Record Weather Events for January 12th in North Carolina

Highest Temperature 81°F in Marion, Mcdowell County in 1901
Lowest Temperature -14°F in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County in 1982
Greatest Rainfall 5.10 inches in Highlands, Macon County in 1901
Greatest Snowfall 9.0 inches in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County in 1918
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of January Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 86°F in Marion, Mcdowell County on 01-24-1927
Lowest Temperature -34°F in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 01-21-1985
Greatest Rainfall 9.18 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 01-13-2018
Greatest Snowfall 28.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 01-28-1998




Back to Top



Back to Top
Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)





No events have been submitted for Macon Calendar.
Back to Top
Local and State News



• Macon County Board of Commissioners: January 10, 2023 Regular Meeting [Macon Media]

• NC House Republicans scrap rule on veto override votes [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]

• Former UNC employee accused of embezzling $60K. Judge orders her to repay some money. [Raleigh News and Observer]

• Western Carolina professor part of NASA moonwalking test mission team [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]

• Jackson considers municipal grant applications [Smoky Mountain News]

• 2023 politics in WNC: State power and an almost supermajority [BPR]


Back to Top
Special Section: The Russo-Ukrainian War
(sharing of a particular source is not an endorsement)



• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 11 [Institute for the Study of War] [PDF for January 11th]

• Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 322 [Al Jazeera]

• LIVEBLOG: Day 323 of Russian aggression against Ukraine [TVP World]

• Russo-Ukrainian War. Day 322: Heavy fighting for Soledar ongoing [Euromaiden Press]

Poland Giving Ukraine Leopard 2 Tanks - Combat Footage Review | UNKER530 - Veteran Community & Combat Footage



• Soledar would be a strategic victory for Russia [DW News]

• Ukraine war: Who controls Soledar and why it matters [BBC News]

• Top Russian general put in charge of ‘more dangerous’ Ukraine war [Al Jazeera]

• Donbas town of Soledar taken by Russian forces, who are changing tactics [Le Monde]

• Ukraine’s Electric-Repair Crews Become Unlikely Wartime Heroes [Wall Street Journal]


News from Russian or pro-Russian outlets or Video About the Russian Perspective

• Russia announces new head of Ukraine mission [Russia Today]

• Soledar completely liberated and cleansed. About 500 Ukrainian soldiers killed [Pravda]

• Ukrainian hospitals overflowing with troops from Soledar — Russian special forces officer [TASS]


Back to Top
National and World News Roundup

FAA computer outage triggers nationwide travel nightmare | ABC News



Canada also affected by US flight disruptions, experienced similar outage | Global News



• FAA's outdated tech can't keep up with modern demand [AXIOS]

• U.S. Flight Disruptions Mount After FAA Grounding Order Ends ​​ [Wall Street Journal]

• Biden's legal team found more classified docs, according to a person familiar with the investigation [Politico]

• Special counsel subpoenas, grand jury appearances mount for Trump allies [ABC News (video and article) via Yahoo! News]

• Here Are All the Ways Republicans Plan to Investigate Biden [New York Times]

• Mega Millions jackpot soars to $1.35 billion – 2nd largest in history – after no winner claimed Tuesday’s prize [CNN]

• ‘Disgusted’ with Santos, GOP officials say new congressman must resign [Courthouse News Service]


Washington Today (1-11-23): Sec Buttigieg: cause of FAA system crash grounding flights not known yet | C-SPAN Radio



Global National: Jan. 11, 2023 | FAA computer outage leads to mass flight delays, cancellations



Nightly News Full Broadcast (January 11th)


PBS NewsHour full episode, January 11, 2022




Back to Top
COVID-19 News and Updates

Here is a section on COVID-19. It includes local, regional, state, national, and global items.



COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County:






• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard [World Health Organization]

In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 4:25pm CET, 10 January 2023, there have been 99,888,608 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,084,932 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 16 December 2022, a total of 652,464,668 vaccine doses have been administered.

Globally, as of 4:25pm CET, 10 January 2023, there have been 660,131,952 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,690,473 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 22 December 2022, a total of 13,073,712,554 vaccine doses have been administered.

• The quiet cost of covid: A million people missing work each month [Washington Post]

• Peter Hotez on new COVID XBB1.5 variant: 'People are saying this will be mild. It's not mild' [Houston Chronicle]

• Biden administration renews Covid-19 public health emergency [CNN]

• What’s standing in the way of wastewater data becoming a more mainstream public health tool [STAT News]

• Mental Health Service Utilization Rates Among Commercially Insured Adults in the US During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic [JAMA Network]




Back to Top
Science and Technology News Roundup

• FAA's outdated tech can't keep up with modern demand [AXIOS]

• Royal Mail unable to send letters and parcels overseas after ‘cyber incident’ [Metro]

• Russia to launch mission to rescue stranded ISS crew after meteoroid strike [The Guardian]

• AI-powered "robot" lawyer will be first of its kind to represent defendant in court [CBS News]

• House Republicans Ready to Give Big Tech the Benghazi Treatment [Gizmodo]

• Parler owner laid off 75% of staff and has only 20 employees left, report says [Parler]

• Modification to Shor's algorithm may mean less powerful quantum computers could crack cryptosystems [Tech Xplore]

• Twitter Said to Consider Selling User Names to Boost Revenue [New York Times]


Evergreen Links

• Neal Stephenson’s Lamina1 drops white paper on building the open metaverse [Venture Beat] [PDF of White paper]

• Yes, the Great Books Make Us Better People [New York Times]




Podcasts and Long Form Videos (History, Culture, Science, Space, Technology and Current Events)
Anything covering educational, entertainment, history, current events, and technology topics

The Level1 Show January 11 2023: I Do Not Consent to Having My Base Touched | Level1Techs



Low Twitter Disinformation Effect - DTNS 4434 | Daily Tech News Show



How Optical MEMS Won an Oscar | Asianometry



Hands Off My Pound Cake! - ChatGPT Microsoft investment, Tesla crashes, FAA outage, Afroman raid | This Week in Google



Atlantopia: The Insane Plan to Drain the Mediterranean | Megaprojects



New Cosmology Anomaly Confirmed, Particle Physics Anomaly Vanishes | Sabine Hossenfelder



Did The Moon Form in 24 Hours? | PBS Space Time






Back to Top
Russo-Ukrainian War Videos (mostly long form)

--> Ukraine's Bakhmut: Inside the frontline city | FRANCE 24



Russian mercenaries claim territory in brutal, violent fight in eastern Ukraine | PBS NewsHour



Russian hackers strike nuclear sites - Business Arena | TVP World



War in Ukraine: Soledar's fate unclear amid heavy fighting | DW News



Poland Giving Ukraine Leopard 2 Tanks - Combat Footage Review | UNKER530 - Veteran Community & Combat Footage



Ukraine denies claim Russia controls town of Soledar | BBC News







Back to Top
On This Day

January 12th is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 353 days remain until the end of the year (354 in leap years).

Historical Events



Historical Events

(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)

Today in History for January 11th | Associated Press





475 – Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople, and his general, Basiliscus gains control of the empire.

1528 – Gustav I of Sweden is crowned King of Sweden, having already reigned since his election in June 1523.

1554 – Bayinnaung, who would go on to assemble the largest empire in the history of Southeast Asia, is crowned King of Burma.

1616 РThe city of Bel̩m, Brazil is founded on the Amazon River delta, by Portuguese captain Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco.

1792 – Federalist Thomas Pinckney appointed first U.S. minister to Britain.

1808 – John Rennie's scheme to defend St Mary's Church, Reculver, founded in 669, from coastal erosion is abandoned in favour of demolition, despite the church being an exemplar of Anglo-Saxon architecture and sculpture.

1808 – The organizational meeting leading to the creation of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.

1848 – The Palermo rising takes place in Sicily against the Bourbon Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

1866 – The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London.

1872 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first imperial coronation in that city in over 200 years.

1895 – The National Trust is founded in the United Kingdom.

1911 – The University of the Philippines College of Law is formally established; three future Philippine presidents are among the first enrollees.

1915 – The United States House of Representatives rejects a proposal to require states to give women the right to vote.

1916 РBoth Oswald Boelcke and Max Immelmann, for achieving eight aerial victories each over Allied aircraft, receive the German Empire's highest military award, the Pour le M̩rite as the first German aviators to earn it.

1918 – The Minnie Pit Disaster coal mining accident occurs in Halmer End, Staffordshire, in which 155 men and boys die.

1932 – Hattie Caraway becomes the first woman elected to the United States Senate.

1942 – World War II: United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the National War Labor Board.

1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the Vistula–Oder Offensive.

• [Wikipedia article]
• [WAR WITNESS: Heritage. 59. Victor Isaev. Vistula-Oder Offensive.]



1962 – Vietnam War: Operation Chopper, the first American combat mission in the war, takes place.

• [Wikipedia article]
• [VIDEO: Operation Chopper]
• [LINKTEXT]



1964 – Rebels in Zanzibar begin a revolt known as the Zanzibar Revolution and proclaim a republic.

1966 – Lyndon B. Johnson states that the United States should stay in South Vietnam until Communist aggression there is ended.

1967 – Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation.

1969 – The New York Jets of the American Football League defeat the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League to win Super Bowl III in what is considered to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history.

• [Super Bowl III: "Joe Namath's Guarantee" | Jets vs Colts | NFL Full Game]
• [Wikipedia article]
• [Box Scores on Pro Football Reference]



1970 – Biafra capitulates, ending the Nigerian Civil War.

1971 – The Harrisburg Seven: Rev. Philip Berrigan and five other activists are indicted on charges of conspiring to kidnap Henry Kissinger and of plotting to blow up the heating tunnels of federal buildings in Washington, D.C.

1976 – The United Nations Security Council votes 11–1 to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in a Security Council debate (without voting rights).

1986 – Space Shuttle program: Congressman Bill Nelson lifts off from Kennedy Space Center aboard Columbia on mission STS-61-C as a payload specialist.

1990 – A seven-day pogrom breaks out against the Armenian civilian population of Baku, Azerbaijan, during which Armenians were beaten, tortured, murdered, and expelled from the city.

1991 – Persian Gulf War: An act of the U.S. Congress authorizes the use of American military force to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.

1997 – Space Shuttle program: Atlantis launches from the Kennedy Space Center on mission STS-81 to the Russian space station Mir, carrying astronaut Jerry M. Linenger for a four-month stay on board the station, replacing astronaut John E. Blaha.

• [Launch Video]
• [Wikipedia article]
• [STS-81 Mission Highlights Resource Tape]



1998 – Nineteen European nations agree to forbid human cloning.

2001 – Downtown Disney opens to the public as part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

2004 – The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.

2005 – Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket.

2006 – A stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.

2007 – Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught), one of the brightest comets ever observed is at its zenith visible during the day.

• [Wikipedia article]



2010 – An earthquake in Haiti occurs, killing between 220,000 and 300,000 people and destroying much of the capital Port-au-Prince.

• [Wikipedia article]
• [What Made Haiti's Earthquake the Deadliest this Century?]
• [LINKTEXT]



2012 – Violent protests occur in Bucharest, Romania, as two-day-old demonstrations continue against President Traian Băsescu's economic austerity measures. Clashes are reported in numerous Romanian cities between protesters and law enforcement officers.

2015 – Government raids kill 143 Boko Haram fighters in Kolofata, Cameroon.

2016 – Ten people are killed and 15 wounded in a bombing near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

2020 – Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupts, and kills 39 people.

• [Wikipedia article]
• [BBC: On Taal Volcano Island After the 2020 Eruption]
• [Taal Volcano January 12, 2020 (Nature Reboots)]




Back to Top
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.



Become a Patron!



Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia


Published at 5:00am on Thursday, January 12, 2023
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

0 comments :