News and Weather Briefing for Friday, October 16, 2020

OUTLOOK

Cooler and much drier air will filter in behind a cold front crossing the region today, with frost and freeze conditions expected across the mountains tonight and possibly Saturday night. The Bermuda High will nose into the region early next week, supporting a rebound in temperatures to slightly above normal.




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News Brief


Not all things that are happening during this pandemic are bad. Here is an exchange between some second graders in Texas after their teacher lost her internet connection during an online meeting.

The NC State Board of Election reminds us that voter intimidation is against the law [LINK] 



Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a chart to show you the long-term trends since May 30, 2020, when the health department started releasing numbers to the public.

Cases

706 Detected
(+5 from Wednesday and +31 from last Thursday and +122 in four weeks)

32 Active
(+2 from Wednesday and -1 from last Thursday and +12 in four weeks)

667 Recovered
(+3 from Wednesday and +32 from last Thursday and +110 in four weeks)

7 Deaths
(unchanged from Wednesday and unchanged from last Thursday and unchanged in four weeks)

Testing

6020 by MCPH
(unchanged from Wednesday and +149 from last Thursday and +713 in four weeks)

2448 by others
(unchanged from Wednesday and +116 from last Thursday and +411 in four weeks)

8468 in total
(unchanged from Wednesday and +265 from last Thursday and +1128 in four weeks)

95 tests pending results
(-36 from Wednesday and +14 from last Thursday and +51 in four weeks)

General forecast through Saturday night


Today

Patchy fog in the morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs mainly in the 50s, except for a few location in the lower elevations that could reach 60 this afternoon. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Patchy frost after 11pm. Otherwise, clear, with lows in the upper 20s in the higher elevations and near freezing in the lower elevations. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming calm before midnight.

Saturday

Areas of frost before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with highs ranging from the mid-to-upper 50s in the higher elevations to the lower 60s in the lower elevations. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Patchy frost after 2am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with lows ranging from near freezing in the higher elevations and the upper 30s in the lower elevations. Calm winds.

Sunday

Patchy frost before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with highs ranging from the upper 50s in the higher elevations to the mid-60s in the lower elevations. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with lows ranging from the upper 30s in the higher elevations to the mid-40s in the lower elevations.



HAZARDS

Canadian high pressure building into the area this weekend may support frost and high elevation freeze conditions Friday night into early Saturday morning. Frost could develop again Saturday night in some of the area as well. A copy of the Freeze Watch issued by the National Weather Service has been added to this section.

...FREEZE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 31 possible.

* WHERE...Haywood, Mitchell, Swain, Graham, Northern Jackson, Avery, Yancey and Macon Counties.

* WHEN...From late tonight through Saturday morning.

* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing.



Air Quality

Air quality is in the middle range of green today for all elevations.

Pollen

Pollen levels are expected to be low-medium (3.4 out of 12) with ragweed, chenopods, and grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to drop into the low range (2.4 out of 12).


Weather Extremes for Macon County for October 16th

Highest Temperature 81°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2008
Lowest Temperature 25°F in Franklin in 2006
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 4.71 inches in Highlands in 1932 Greatest One-Day Snowfall (no snowfall has been recorded on this date since records began in 1872