Daily Weather Briefing for Sunday, April 23, 2017

LOCAL OUTLOOK

Cool and moist high pressure will remain over the area through Monday. Meanwhile, a deep and vigorous low pressure system moves across Georgia to the Carolina coast creating a lengthy period of moderate to heavy rainfall that persists through Monday. Dry high pressure returns by Wednesday. Temperatures warm through next weekend with a small chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

Weather Almanac for April 23rd (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 87°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1988
Lowest Temperature 19°F in Highlands in 1903
Greatest Rainfall 5.60 inches in Highlands in 1883
Greatest Snowfall 1.0 inches in Highlands in 1901



LOCAL NEWS

A gust front ahead of a line of storms knocked out electrical serve to over 400 Maconians last night and, as of 4 am, all but 22 homes have been restored. Duke Energy has no estimate of when the remainder will be back in service. Most of those are located off Bethel Church Road on Timberland Trail.


THREE DAY OUTLOOK




TODAY heavy rain with possible flooding

Rain, heavy at times, with patchy fog. Highs near the upper 50s and lower 60s and winds out of the southeast. Rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches are expected.

TONIGHT heavy rain and flooding is possible

Rain, heavy at times, and fog. Lows near the upper 40s and winds out of the northeast calming before midnight. Rainfall amounts between a half an inch and three quarters of an inch is possible.



MONDAY

Mostly cloudy with highs near the mid 60s. Calm winds in the morning and from the northwest in the afternoon. 50% chance of rain with rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch is expected at this time (3 am Sunday morning).

MONDAY NIGHT

Rain showers with lows near the upper 40s and winds out of the north becoming light and variable after midnight.



TUESDAY

Partly sunny with highs in the mid 70s.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows near 50.



HAZARDS

Heavy rain expected between now and Monday morning. This may lead to flooding.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for the entire region through Monday evening. Several rounds of heavy rain is expected to bring between 2 to 4 inches of rain that could lead to flooding. If you live in a low-lying area, please take precautions. If you're out driving in the rain, please be careful of ponding on the roadways that could lead to hydroplaning. Also, try not to drive across flooded roads because you never know when flood waters have washed away a road. Remember the adage, “Turn Around and Don't Drown.”

***Flood Watch***
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
408 AM EDT Sun Apr 23 2017

...Heavy Rainfall Expected Across Western North Carolina through Monday...

.An area of upper level low pressure and associated cold front will slowly approach the region from the Tennessee Valley today, then pass south of our area tonight into Monday. This will pull abundant moisture and lift into the region, resulting in several periods of showers and thunderstorms today through at least Monday morning.



...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...

* Several periods of showers and thunderstorms are expected across the area today through at least Monday morning. Total rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected by the time the heavy rain potential ends on Monday. Locally higher amounts will be possible with smaller scale bands of showers and storms that may develop across the area, especially tonight and early Monday.


* The long duration and widespread nature of the heavy rain threat is expected to result in significant rises and potential flooding on area streams, while minor flooding will also be possible along some main stem rivers. Additionally, heavier short term rainfall rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and thunderstorms could result in localized flash flooding along small streams and in urban areas.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Flood Watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.

You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

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 in pdf format or a high quality photo, to editor@maconmedia.com
There is no charge for civic, educational or non profit groups.

FRANKLIN BIRD CLUB EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday, April 24

Don Hendershot will lead a walk at Buck Creek Barrens. We will bird along Buck Creek Road off U.S. 64 in Clay County. Good birding area with open & forested habitats. There is a great bog where we will start our tour and on the way out we will look at – and learn about the Buck Creek Serpentine Barrens – thanks to some assistance from Brent Martin, Southern Appalachian Regional Director at The Wilderness Society.

Birds to expect include Louisiana waterthrush, hooded warbler, black-throated blue, black-throated green, northern parula, yellow-throated warbler, indigo bunting, scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, gray catbird, brown thrasher, various sparrows and more. Possible migrants include northern waterthrush and sedge wren.

Meet at the Kmart parking lot (Westgate Plaza in Franklin) at 8:00 am to carpool. Sign up at 828-524-5234.

Wednesday, April 26

Bird walk along the Greenway. Meet at the Macon County Public Library parking area at 8:00 am. Check below in Comments for walk report.

Friday, April 28

John and Cathy Sill will lead a bird walk in the Standing Indian area.

Meet at the Kmart parking lot (Westgate Plaza in Franklin) at 8:00 am to carpool up to Standing Indian with a few stops along the way. We should be back by noon. Sign up at 828-524-5234.


SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

On January 1, 2017, the Syringe Exchange Program of Franklin began operating a comprehensive harm reduction program to address the opioid epidemic that is effecting western NC. Opioid overdose reversal kits including naloxone are available free of charge. If you have any questions about our services or if you know someone interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Almeida at 828-475-1920.



Astronomy

Twilight Begins: 6:25 am
Sunrise: 6:51 am
Sunset 8:13 pm
Twilight Ends: 8:40 pm




Moon Phase: Waning Crescent with 11% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Moonrise 5:12 am
Moonset 5:13 pm



Evening Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 10:30 pm tonight




Morning Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 4 am tomorrow morning



PLANET POSITION SUMMARY



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]

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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.

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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 5:18 am on April 23, 2017

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety

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, 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.