NATIONAL OUTLOOK
...Strong storm system to affect California...
...Quieter weather pattern is expected over most of the nation...
Rain and mountain snow will continue across much of the western U.S. as a Pacific cold front pushes inland across the Pacific Northwest and northern California. Heavy snow is likely for the higher elevations of the Cascades and the northern Rockies through Friday as the moisture moves inland.
The main weather event that will make headlines over the next few days will be a deep upper level trough that will generate a strong occluded surface low which will head towards California through Friday. Expect the surface low to make landfall by Friday afternoon/evening, with best precipitation moving in by Friday morning. Heavy rainfall is expected for the coastal areas and the nearby mountains, with some locations getting in excess of 4 inches of rainfall by Saturday morning thanks to the deep surge of subtropical moisture being directed towards the region. Flash flooding and river flooding will be possible across much of California and much of the Pacific Northwest given the amount of rain expected, as well as warming temperatures leading to snow melt across the region.
Some ongoing lake effect snow showers downwind of the Great Lakes will continue to taper off through this evening as winds shift to a more southerly direction, eliminating best fetch and gradually warming the airmass. This same southerly flow may lead to some rain showers along the Gulf Coast into the first part of the weekend.
Otherwise, sunny to partly cloudy conditions are expected across much of the central and eastern U.S. over the next few days as high pressure governs the overall weather pattern there. Warmer conditions are also expected in time for the weekend for many areas.
GOFUNDME ESTABLISHED FOR FAMILY WHO LOST HOME IN FIRE
A family with three children, two girls, ages 14 and 8, and a boy, age 4, has lost their home due to a fire. A GOFUNDME has been established to assist the family with clothing and other needs while they are homeless. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/family-of-5-loses-all-in-house-fire to find out more.
LOCAL NEWS
The Macon County Commissioners held their annual joint meeting with the Macon County Planning Board last night at the Environmental Resource Center.
Video of the entire meeting is on the blog. [LINK]
LOCAL OVERVIEW
A warming trend continues as southerly flow returns to the area underneath a strong ridge of high pressure. A weak upper low will cross the Tennessee Valley and Carolinas over the weekend, bringing chances for light rainfall to the area. Another upper low will move across the Gulf Coast mid to late next week with another round of light rainfall possible. High temperatures will stay 10 to 15 degrees above normal through the period.
THREE DAY OUTLOOK
Friday
Sunny with highs near 70. Calm winds early, then from the northwest in the morning.
Friday Night
Partly clear early with increasing clouds. Lows near freezing and calm winds.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with highs near 60 and variable light winds. 40% chance of rain with rainfall amounts not expected to exceed a tenth of an inch.
Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy with lows near 40. Calm winds before midnight with winds from the northwest after midnight. 30% chance of rain, mainly before midnight.
Sunday
Mostly sunny with highs near the mid to upper 60s.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear with lows near 40.
HAZARDS
No hazardous weather is expected.
As always, you can check to see what advisories, watches and warnings are in effect for Macon County by visiting http://is.gd/MACONWARN
MACON CALENDAR
If you have an event you wish to be added to this calendar, please send the information, along with a flyer or photo, to editor@maconmedia.com
There is no charge for civic, educational or non profit groups.
FRANKLIN BIRD CLUB MEETING AT LIBRARY
February 20
Franklin Bird Club meeting. “Cherokee Bird Legends and Myths” by Barbara Duncan. 7:00 pm at the Macon County Public Library.
February 21 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm at the FHS Fine Arts Building
Youth Night Out Teen Dating Violence and Healthy Relationships.
Presented as a partnership of Angel Medical Center, Macon County Public Health, REACH of Macon County and Discover Church.
MARDI GRAS DINNER TO BENEFIT REACH OF MACON COUNTY
A Mardi Gras Dinner to benefit REACH of Macon County will be held at Root + Barrel Kitchen on Main Street on Tuesday, February 28th at 6:30 pm.
Reserved tickets are $75 and open seating is $60.
More information is on the flyer posted here.
Weather Extremes Almanac for February 17, 2017
North Carolina
High Temperature 86ºF in Kinston, Lenoir County in 1927
Low Temperature -20ºF in Brevard, Transylvania County in 1958
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 4.34 inches in Maysville, Onslow County in 1998
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 15.0 inches in Lenoir, Caldwell County in 1969
Macon County
High Temperature 74ºF in Highlands in 1927
Low Temperature -9ºF in Highlands in 1958
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 2.83 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1995
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 3.0 inches in Highlands in 1896
Astronomy
Twilight Begins: 6:51 am
Sunrise: 7:17 am
Sunset 6:18 pm
Twilight Ends: 6:44 pm
Day Length: 11 hours 53 minutes
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous with 61% of the Moo's visible disk illuminated
Moonset 11:10 am
Observing the Skies
Evening Events and Planets
Venus and Mars are the bright evening planets.
VENUS
Rises 8:47 am
Sets 9:29 pm
Brightness -4.5 Magnitude
Distance 0.424 AU
Constellation: Pisces
MARS
Rises 9:21 am
Sets 9:54 pm
Brightness 1.3 Magnitude
Distance: 1.961 AU
Constellation: Pisces
Morning Events and Planets
MERCURY
Rises 6:50 am
Sets 5:06 pm
Brightness -0.4 Magnitude
Distance 1.353 AU
Constellation: Capricornus
SATURN
Rises 3:31 am
Sets 1:17 pm
Brightness 1.4 Magnitude
Distance: 10.458 AU
Constellation: Ophiuchus
JUPITER
Rises 10:28 pm
Sets 9:48 am
Brightness -2.1 Magnitude
Distance: 4.813 AU
Constellation: Virgo
Sky Guides for this week
Sky and Telescope Magazine
Astronomy Magazine
Earth Sky has an article on the eclipses of 2017. [LINK]
Heavens Above has an Android App that will assist you in observing the sky and even has a satellite tracker that will let you know when the International Space Station and dozens of other satellites are overhead. [LINK]
Stellarium is also an app that will assist you in observing the sky. It is available in both Android [LINK] and iOS versions. [LINK]
CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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.
If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.
Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.
You have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.
You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at >> https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia
Published at 3:24 am on Feb 14, 2017
#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety
Be kind to one another.
Data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, and the Weather Prediction Center.
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