Daily Weather Briefing for Tuesday, November 7, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

Today is election day for the municipalities of Franklin and Highlands. Polls will open at 6:30 am and close at 7:30 pm. More information is posted below. Macon MEdia will be providing updates through the day on the numbers of people voting and short interviews with candidates who are outside the Franklin town hall. After the polls close, Macon MEdia will provide coverage from the Board of Elections at the Macon County Courthouse.

If you are a registered voter in Franklin or Highlands, please get out and vote for the candidates of your choice.


From the Board of Elections:

There have been some questions in regards to the passing of Billy Mashburn who is on the ballot. His name will remain on the ballot, and if he wins the seat, the seat will be declared vacant, and the Town Council will appoint someone to fill the seat. That person will have to run again in the next Municipal Election.

Voters who live within the City limits and that are registered to vote can go to the polls on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, from 6:30am-7:30pm. On Election Day, The Town of Franklin voters will go to the Town Hall to vote, and the Town of Highlands voters will go to the Highlands Civic Center to vote. There will be NO VOTING at the Macon County Courthouse on Election Day, voters must go to the polls to vote. Canvass Day will be November 17, 2017, at 11:00.

DAY SPONSOR

Elect Angela Moore is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for today.

Angela states, "I am running for a seat on the Franklin Town Council because I have a vision for reform. Much like our founding fathers, I want to cut taxes, promote open government, restore private property rights, and stand by equal enforcement of the law." Read more about why she is seeking a seat on the council at https://www.facebook.com/Elect-Angela-Moore-896356903787708/app/208195102528120/

Visit the campaign Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/Elect-Angela-Moore-896356903787708/

LOCAL OUTLOOK

A series of systems will keep the weather unsettled this week, with rain chances persisting through Thursday. Cold air will arrive by mid-week, dropping temperatures well below average through next weekend.


Weather Almanac for November 7th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 80°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2015
Lowest Temperature 13°F in Franklin in 1967
Greatest Rainfall 2.68 inches in Highlands in 1975
Greatest One-Day Snowfall (no measurable snowfall recorded)


Record weather events for November in Macon County

Highest Temperature 83°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Nov 4, 2003
Lowest Temperature -3°F in Highlands on Nov 25, 1950
Greatest Rainfall 4.69 inches in Highlands on Nov 29, 1914
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 6.0 inches in Highlands on Nov 28, 1922


THREE DAY OUTLOOK



TODAY

Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly cloudy with highs in the 60s and winds 5 to 10 mph from the southwest. 70% chance of rain with a possibility of thunderstorms.

TONIGHT

Mostly cloudy with patchy fog overnight, mainly after midnight. Lows in the upper 40s and lower 50s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest. 60% chance of rain.


WEDNESDAY

Cloudy with highs in the 50s and winds out of the west. 70% chance of rain.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Cloudy with lows in the 40s and winds in out of the southeast. 60% chance of rain.



THURSDAY

Mostly cloudy with highs in the 50s. 50% chance of rain.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows in the 30s.

HAZARDS

Areas of fog are expected to develop this morning could become thick in places. Showers and thunderstorms are expected today, but no severe weather is anticipated. The National Weather Service may issue a Dense Fog Advisory later this morning if conditions warrant.

Be sure to turn on your headlights on your morning commute so other motorists can see you.


Macon Media maintains a Severe Weather Preparedness Page at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/p/breaking-news-hub.html for those who are interested.


As always, you can check to see what advisories, watches, and warnings are in effect for Macon County by visiting http://is.gd/MACONWARN



TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

The Atlantic Hurricane Season ends on November 30th.

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
100 AM EST Tue Nov 7 2017

For the North Atlantic...The Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on recently upgraded Tropical Storm Rina, located several hundred miles east of Bermuda.

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days.



Tropical Storm Rina Discussion Number 4
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL192017
1100 PM AST Mon Nov 06 2017

Despite the low-level center being exposed to the west of the deep convection, a pair of ASCAT-A and ASCAT-B passes between 00Z and 01Z showed an area of 30-35 kt winds east of the cyclone's center.
Based on the ASCAT data, the depression is upgraded to a tropical storm with the initial intensity set at 35 kt. The rather disorganized cloud pattern is consistent with the approximately 20 kt of westerly shear analyzed by UW-CIMSS and the SHIPS model. The environment is only expected to be marginally conducive for intensification via diabatic processes, with the shear expected to remain near 20 kt and the SSTs cooling along the forecast track.
After 24 to 36 hours, cooling upper-tropospheric temperatures and increasing upper-level divergence suggest that Rina will maintain its intensity as it begins extratropical transition, which should be complete between by 72 hours. The new NHC intensity forecast is similar to the previous one and is close to the HWRF and HCCA aids. The official forecast shows Rina dissipating by 96 hours in agreement with global model fields.

The exposed low-level center and ASCAT passes result in high confidence in the initial position, and Rina has begun to move more steadily, with an initial motion estimate of 010/06. Rina should continue to accelerate northward and north-northeastward during the next 36 to 48 hours between a mid-level ridge to the east and an upper-level trough to the west. After 48 hours, Rina is forecast to accelerate further as it enters the mid-latitude westerlies. The track model guidance has shifted left this cycle, and the along-track spread is quite large by 72 hours, with the GFS more than 500 n mi northeast of the ECMWF at that time. The new NHC track forecast has been adjusted westward and a bit slower, and lies close to a blend of the GFS and ECMWF solutions to the east of the TVCA multi-model consensus. Confidence in the details of the track forecast is lower than usual given the large model spread.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 07/0300Z 30.4N 49.9W 35 KT 40 MPH
12H 07/1200Z 32.4N 49.6W 40 KT 45 MPH
24H 08/0000Z 35.4N 49.0W 45 KT 50 MPH
36H 08/1200Z 39.0N 48.0W 45 KT 50 MPH
48H 09/0000Z 42.3N 46.2W 45 KT 50 MPH
72H 10/0000Z 51.0N 36.0W 40 KT 45 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
96H 11/0000Z...DISSIPATED


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. If you want text published, please include a paragraph with your photo, flyer or graphics. Please include date(s) and time(s).
There is no charge for civic, educational or nonprofit groups, except for groups or events that receive funding from the TDA, TDC, and EDC, where full rates apply.

It is FFA Christmas Tree order time.....
Help support our Franklin FFA ( Future Farmers of America )....
* All proceeds go to the students for competitions *

FFA students are taking orders for Christmas trees...locally grown Frasier Firs...hand selected by students, 6ft, 7ft, 8ft... $25.00 each...order now - pick up Sat Nov 25 9am-12....Ag Building at Franklin HS....contact Gregory Charles Spala 813-838-7693 or Lori Spala 813-503-2160 calls, text & vm or via FB messenger or send comment...
Cash or checks (FHS....memo line FFA Christmas Tree)

**Thursday, November 16th DEADLINE for orders & money turn in for Christmas Trees**


National Alliance on Mental Illness
Appalachian South

Meets each Thursday at 7pm
The First Methodist Church Outreach Center
at the intersection of Harrison Ave. and West Main Street
(directly across from Lazy Hiker Brewery)

Come join our weekly support group for anyone suffering from mental illness and their family or friends. This includes Depression, Bipolar,8chizophrenia, PTSD, Substance Abuse, Etc.

Here you will find:
— others living with mental health challenges YOU ARE NOT ALONE
- learn coping skills and ?find hope in shared experience
- help learning how to break down stigma and guilt surrounding mental health
- how to live life with the expectation of a better a better future

Kay (706)970-9987 Denise (828)347-5000)

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.



Sun and Moon

Sun

Begin civil twilight 6:34 a.m.
Sunrise 7:01 a.m.
Sun transit 12:17 p.m.
Sunset 5:33 p.m.
End civil twilight 6:00 p.m.


Moon

Moonrise 8:07 p.m. last night
Moon transit 3:20 a.m.
Moonset 10:36 a.m.
Moonrise 9:06 p.m.


Phase of the Moon on November 7, 2017: Waning Gibbous with 83% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Closest Primary Moon Phase: Last Quarter on November 10, 2017 at 3:36 p.m. (local standard time)


Sky Guides for this week

I took some epic photos of the solar eclipse, but have not yet had time to process them. I will be producing material from the photos and video for sale as a fundraiser for Macon Media. --Bobby

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. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

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



Posted at 3:40 am on November 7, 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.