Daily Weather Briefing for Wednesday, May 17, 2017

LOCAL OUTLOOK

Summer-like Bermuda High Pressure will persist over the region through the end of the work week, maintaining above normal temperatures and increasing chances for mainly afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, a cold front may drop down from the north to bring slightly cooler temperatures for the weekend. Another cold front approaches the region from the west Sunday night and then should move across the region on Monday.


LOCAL NEWS

The Macon County Board of Commissioners held their monthly meeting last night. The meeting lasted over three hours. Video and the agenda packet are on the blog. [LINK]

Also at the meeting, the county manager presented his recommended budget for Fiscal Year last night. A video of that message, with numbers, will be posted later today.

Weather Almanac for May 17th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 89°F in Franklin in 1960
Lowest Temperature 29°F in Highlands in 1984
Greatest Rainfall 1.25 inches in Highlands in 2003
Greatest Snowfall There has been no measurable snowfall recorded in Macon County on this date since 1872 when weather record-keeping started.


THREE DAY OUTLOOK




TODAY

Sunny with highs in the mid-80s. Winds will be light out of the south, gradually increasing to 5 to 10 mph by mid-morning. Cloud cover will increase in the afternoon hours.

TONIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows near 60 and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the south expected to become calm after midnight.



THURSDAY

Partly sunny with highs in the mid-80s. Calm winds early, then from the south in the afternoon. Slight chance of thunderstorms, mainly between noon and midnight.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near 60 and calm winds. Slight chance of thunderstorms, mainly before 2 am.



THURSDAY

Partly sunny with highs in the low to mid-80s. Calm winds early, then from the south in the afternoon. 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after noon.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near 60. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 am.


HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not 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 in pdf format or a high-quality photo, to editor@maconmedia.com
There is no charge for civic, educational or non-profit groups, except for groups or events that receive funding from the TDA, TDC and EDC, where full rates apply.



Wednesday, May 17

FRANKLIN BIRD CLUB - 8 AM BIRDWALK ON GREENWAY

Bird walk along the Greenway. Meet at the Macon County Public Library parking area at 8:00 am.


iPHONE/iPAD USERS GROUP - 2 PM MACON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY MEETING ROOM

This is a monthly peer-led meeting open to anyone who has an iPhone or iPad and wants to learn more about applications and resources. It's a great way to share questions, knowledge, and favorite apps. Participants are encouraged to set the agenda, help each other, and share ideas with the group. All levels are welcome, no registration required.

POETRY PROGRAM - 7 PM PUBLIC LIBRARY MEETING ROOM

Come join Forrest Rivers as we welcome him back to the library for an evening of peaceful reflections on the topics of nature and inner peace. We could all use a little more peace in these times of moral crises.



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 impacting 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: 6:00 am
Sunrise: 6:28 am
Sunset 8:32 pm
Twilight Ends: 9:01 pm




Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous with 64% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Moonrise 1:14 a.m.
Moonset 11:57 a.m.


Evening Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 10:30 pm tonight




Morning Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 4 am tomorrow morning




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

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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 4:07 am on May 17, 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.