• Town of Franklin Asks Residents to Observe Voluntary Water Restrictions [Macon Media]
• ...INCREASED FIRE DANGER ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA FROM 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH 8 PM THIS EVENING...
• [Public Safety Notifications]
• [SEVERE WEATHER CHANNEL]
• You can now support Macon Media with a $1.99 monthly Facebook subscription at [LINK]
NWS GENERAL OUTLOOK
1. Very warm conditions, with very low-to-critical relative humidity is forecast each afternoon through Friday, keeping the fire danger elevated. Any fire that develops has the potential to spread quickly. No outdoor burning!
2. Trending towards a wetter pattern this weekend into early next week. However, drier conditions may return briefly Sunday into Monday behind the first cold front and ahead of the second cold front (which is expected on Tuesday). Temperatures remain above normal through the period, with the exception of Monday.
WEATHER SPONSOR
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DAY SPONSOR
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GENERAL FORECAST
(since this is a quick forecast intended to cover the whole county, bear in mind that higher elevations may experience cooler temperatures than this and the lower elevations may experience higher temperatures than those in the forecast)
..TODAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds around 5 mph.
..TONIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s. Southwest winds around 5 mph.
..FRIDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds around 5 mph.
..FRIDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s. Southwest winds around 5 mph.
..SATURDAY....Showers likely in the morning, then showers with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. West winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
..SATURDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Lows around 50. Chance of rain 70 percent.
..SUNDAY....Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.
..SUNDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
A statewide burn ban issued by the North Carolina Forest Service is currently in place. Open burning of any kind is illegal.
...INCREASED FIRE DANGER FROM 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING...
Relative humidity is forecast to fall to 20 to 30 percent across much of region this afternoon, while temperatures are forecast to be 2 to 3 degrees warmer than Wednesday. Winds are expected to be lighter at around 5 mph, but the low humidity combined with very dry vegetation and warm temperatures will result in an elevated threat for the rapid spread of wildfire across the area, especially this afternoon.
NEWS UPDATES
(Links aggregated to show what various news outlets are reporting)
State and Local News
Bear encounters rise in Smokies... Wildlife officials say be careful! | WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)
• USDA Designates Macon County a Natural Disaster Area Due to Drought [Macon Media]
• Town of Franklin Asks Residents to Observe Voluntary Water Restrictions [Macon Media]
• Four prominent NC lobbyists indicted over bourbon-tasting junket [NC Newsline]
• No voter ID? Proposal could make it easier for NC election officials to reject your ballot [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Tribal Council session exposes rift between community, leaseholder interests [Smoky Mountain News]
• NC lawmakers want to cap local property tax increases. Could the plan backfire? [Raleigh News & Observer]
Iran War News
Boarded and Diverted | Three MSC Containerships Fired Upon By Iran | US Diverts Iranian Tankers | What's Going on With Shipping?
Kasparov: Trump's biggest mistake is separating the wars in Ukraine and Iran | On The Record | TVP World
• Iran Update Special Report, April 22, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• AP News Liveblog [AP News]
• Jerusalem Post Liveblog [Jerusalem Post]
• BBC Liveblog [BBC News]
• Al Jazeera Liveblog [Al Jazeera]
• Fox News Liveblog [Fox News]
• Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving in latest departure of a top defense leader [AP News]
• Iran’s leaders debate war and peace after Trump ceasefire extension [Al Jazeera]
• Two Israel Air Force technicians charged with spying for Iran - KAN [Jerusalem Post]
• (video) War briefing day 54: US intelligence contradicts Trump on Iranian weaponry [Sky News]
Iran attacks three cargo vessels in Strait of Hormuz | BBC News
World News
Why Russia could be more dangerous after the end of the war in Ukraine | DW News
• The global network hunting predators on the internet [BBC News]
• S. Korea, U.S. aim to meet OPCON transfer conditions no later than Q1 of 2029: USFK commander [Yonhap News Agency]
• Zelensky to join European leaders in Cyprus as EU unblocks €90bn Ukraine loan [France 24]
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 22, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
Ukraine proposes direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin | World News Tonight | TVP World
National News
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - April 22, 2026 | ABC News
• Wildfires across Georgia and Florida destroy more than 50 homes and force evacuations [AP News]
• Republicans Rip Talk of Trump Spirit Airlines Deal: ‘Terrible Idea’ [Newsweek Magazine]
• Judge dismisses Patel defamation lawsuit over ‘nightclubs’ comment on MS NOW [The Hill]
• New CDC director will be allowed to make vaccine decisions, Kennedy tells US Senate panel [Reuters]
• Virginia court declares state's redistricting vote was unconstitutional in legal win for Republicans [Fox News]
Financial News
US & Iran in Hormuz Standoff, ASML's New Gear 'Too Expensive' for TSMC | Daybreak Europe 4/23/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• South Korea, Vietnam set to sign dozens of business deals as Lee visits Hanoi [Yahoo Finance]
• ‘We are facing the biggest energy security threat in history,’ IEA chief tells CNBC [CNBC]
Science and Technology
Atoms Are NOT “Mostly Empty” | Kyle Hill
• Crypto scam lures ships into Strait of Hormuz, falsely promising safe passage [Ars Technica]
• Tesla Says EV Orders Benefitted From Soaring Gas Prices [Gizmodo]
• Scientists discover hidden forces are warping Earth deep beneath the surface [Science Daily]
• TWiV 1315: Jabs for bats [Microbe TV]
Crypto News
Gold: Dubious Speculation | Benjamin Cowen
• Justin Sun Alleges Trump's World Liberty Threatened to Burn His WLFI Tokens [Decrypt]
• Phishing, deepfakes, supply chain attacks to fuel 2026's biggest crypto hacks: CertiK [Coin Telegraph]
• Brian Armstrong Says Base Is the Best Chain for Trading, Payments, and Agents [Bitcoin.com]
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Published at 6.00am on Thursday, April 23, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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