Daily Weather Briefing for Sunday, May 21, 2017

LOCAL OUTLOOK

Widespread showers and a few thunderstorms are expected today through at least Monday as a large frontal system passes through the area. This frontal passage will bring cooler temperatures as well with Tuesday through Thursday highs 5 to 10 degrees below normal. A deep upper trough approaching in midweek will result in another area of heavier showers and storms Wednesday and Wednesday night. Expect dry high pressure and milder temperatures next weekend.



Weather Almanac for May 21st (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 90°F in Franklin in 1975
Lowest Temperature 30°F in Highlands in 1993
Greatest Rainfall 4.03 inches in Highlands in 1901
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

Cloudy with showers and thunderstorms, some of them are expected to produce heavy rainfall. Patchy fog early. Highs in the 70s with winds out of the south. Near 100% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches are possible.

TONIGHT

Cloudy with showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog overnight. Lows near 60. 70% chance of rain with rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch expected.



MONDAY

Mostly cloudy with highs in the mid to upper-70s. Calm winds early then winds from the northwest in the afternoon. 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms with rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch expected.

MONDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the 50s and calm winds.



TUESDAY

Mostly cloudy with highs in the 70s. 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the 50s and a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms.


HAZARDS

Heavy rain with a potential for localized flooding is possible today through Tuesday. Up to 2 to 4 inches is possible. The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for today and tomorrow and it is posted below for your convenience.

NWS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK

..TODAY...Heavy rain with flooding possible. Additional rounds of heavy rainfall will develop across the area today and tonight. Localized flooding will be possible in areas receiving repeated heavy rainfall.

..MONDAY...Heavy rain possible. A cold front moving slowly through the region could contribute additional rounds of heavy rainfall.

..TUESDAY...Heavy rain possible. Low pressure returning from the southwest may produce yet another round of heavy rainfall on Tuesday. 72-hour totals could reach 2 to 4 inches in some areas - especially in southwest sections.

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.



Tuesday, May 23 at 4pm, Macon County Public Library

Facebook Privacy Settings

Level: Advanced Beginner.
Registration is required as space is limited. To register for this class, please visit the Reference Desk or call 524-3600.

Learn who can see your posts and how to control your privacy settings on Facebook. This class is for people who already have a Facebook account and want to have a better understanding of their privacy options. Participants will learn, 1. where to find their overall privacy settings and how to adjust them, 2. where to find the privacy settings for individual posts and how to adjust them. We will discuss what happens when you post things publicly, versus just for your friends, versus on other people's timelines. You will also learn how to deactivate your account (in case you ever want to take a break from Facebook), how to reactivate it, and how to close your account permanently. Participants will also learn where to find additional resources on Facebook privacy topics so that they can continue to be informed about their privacy choices in the ever-changing
landscape of social media.

6 pm BOARD OF EDUCATION

The Macon County Board of Education will be meeting at Nantahala School at 213 Winding Stairs Rd in Topton, NC for this month's meeting instead of at the Central Offices in Franklin.


Wednesday, May 24th, 7:00 p.m. in the Macon County Public Library

Musical performance “Livin’ the Dream”

WCU Roadworks is an outreach program sponsored by the College of Fine and Performing Arts that presents free theatrical, music, film and visual arts events to organizations and communities throughout the region. The School of Music was chosen to present the program this year, utilizing the performing ensemble The Catamount Singers and Electric Soul. This group consists of four of the best singers from the School of Music.
Together, they have prepared a show entitled: “Livin’ the Dream.” The show consists of energetic modern pop tunes, Jazz standards, and classic rock and funk, all complete with impressive choreography. It will feature each of the singers, along with brief narrations about the School of Music and the arts at WCU.


Thursday, May 25– FRANKLIN BIRD CLUB - Jim and Ellen Shelton will lead a bird walk in the Stecoah area.

This will be one of our longer birding ventures. The drive to Stecoah is about an hour long. Birders may want to bring lunch or snacks–and of course, water. The planned return to Franklin is about 2:00 pm.

Meet at Bi-Lo parking area at 8:00 am to carpool. Sponsored by the Franklin Bird Club. 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 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: 5:57 am
Sunrise: 6:25 am
Sunset 8:35 pm
Twilight Ends: 9:04 pm




Moon Phase: Waning Crescent with 25% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Moonrise 3:45 a.m.
Moonset 3:58 p.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.

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 3:35 am on May 21, 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.