Daily Weather Briefing for Tuesday, January 17, 2017

NATIONAL WEATHER

...Stormy weather pattern returning to the Pacific Northwest and heavy rain remains likely for the Gulf Coast...

The low pressure system currently over the Great Lakes region Tuesday morning will continue tracking towards New England by Wednesday, before quickly moving out to sea. Periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley along the trailing cold front. Farther to the north from Wisconsin to northern New England, it will be mainly in the form of wintry weather, with freezing rain and sleet across the Great Lakes region, and snow for interior New England once the low intensifies off the coast on Wednesday.

Heavy rain chances will continue across the Gulf Coast region through the middle of the week as the southern portion of the cold front is forecast to stall out. The highest rainfall totals are anticipated from southeast Texas to Mississippi, where a few inches of additional rainfall is possible. Some strong thunderstorms are also likely south of the front, and could produce localized flooding.

The weather pattern across the Pacific Northwest will become quite active starting Tuesday with heavy rain and mountain snow, compliments of strong onshore flow from the next approaching storm system over the northeast Pacific Ocean. By Wednesday, this moisture should begin reaching California and the northern Rockies, with the heaviest rain expected for the coastal mountain ranges from northern California to Washington.
Strong and gusty winds are also likely near the coast and for the higher elevations.


OVERVIEW

Above average temperatures will persist through mid week. A weak cold front will approach the region from the west by late Tuesday bringing increased chances for rain. A warm front will move north over the Southeast on Thursday and Friday, bringing more rain to the forecast area. A more significant system is expected to develop over the region during the later part of the weekend.



THREE DAY OUTLOOK

Tuesday

Areas of fog before noon. Mostly cloudy with highs near the lower 60s and winds out of the southeast around 5 mph. 30% chance of rain with rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch expected.


Tuesday Night

Patchy fog before midnight. Cloudy with lows near 50 and winds out of the southeast gradually rolling around to come from the west around midnight, then from the northwest by dawn. 60% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch expected. Most of the rain should fall between 9 pm and 5 am.

Wednesday

Partly sunny with highs near the lower 60s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest. 30% chance of rain with rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch expected. Rainfall chances should end around 10 am.


Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy with lows near the mid 40s and winds from the northwest calming before midnight.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with highs near the lower 60s. 40% chance of rain, ,mainly after 2 pm.


Thursday Night

Cloudy with lows near the mid to upper 40s. 80% chance of rain, mainly between 8 pm and 3 am.

HAZARDS

No hazardous weather is expected.


MACON CALENDAR

If you have an event you wish to be added to this calendar, please send the information, along with a flyer of photo, to editor@maconmedia.com
There is no charge for civic, educational or non profit groups.


THE LT PLUNGE: A BENEFIT FOR FIRE CHIEF ROHRER

The LT Plunge on January 21st at Tassee Shelter (10am )

Entry fee is $15 (includes a bowl of hot chilli, hot chocolate/coffee and completion certificate)
100% of the proceeds raised from the plunge will be donated to Franklin's Fire Department Chief Rohrer to assist him and his family with medical

bills as he battles cancer. For more information, please visit the event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1711019812544383/


Weather Extremes Almanac for January 17, 2017



North Carolina

High Temperature 83ºF in Greensboro, Duplin County in 1943
Low Temperature -20ºF on Grandfather Mountain in Avery County in 1977
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 5.10 inches in Murphy in Cherokee County in 1882
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.5 inches in Turnersburg in Iredell County in 1965

Macon County

High Temperature 72ºF at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1943
Low Temperature -5ºF in Franklin in 1982
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.00 inches in Highlands in 2006
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 4.0 inches in Franklin in 1985


Astronomy


Twilight Begins: 7:13 am
Sunrise: 7:41 am
Sunset 5:47 pm
Twilight Ends: 6:14 pm
Day Length: 11 hours

Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous with 71% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Moonset 11:01 am
Moonrise: 11:22 pm


Observing the Skies

Evening Events and Planets

Venus and Mars are the bright evening planets, but both are close to the western horizon, so don't dally too long before you get out to see them.

Venus -4.4 Magnitude Distance 0.648 AU Constellation: Aquarius
Mars 1.00 Magnitude Distance: 1.750 AU Constellation: Aquarius

Morning Events and Planets

Mercury is falling into the brightness of the eastern horizon and presents a greater challenge to observe over the next few days...that is, if the skies are even clear in the mornings. For more on spotting Mercury, check out Earth Sky.

Mercury 0.0 Magnitude Distance 0.971 AU Constellation: Sagittarius
Saturn 1.4 Magnitude Distance: 10.847 AU Constellation: Ophiuchus
Jupiter -1.9 Magnitude Distance: 5.283 AU Constellation: Virgo


Source: The State Climate Office of North Carolina, U.S. Naval Observatory, heavens-above.com

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Published at 4:20 am on Jan 17, 2017




Be kind to one another.