Tuesday, December 22, 2020
News and Weather Briefing for Tuesday, December 22, 2020
In the wake of a weak cold front, a swiftly moving clipper system will produce very windy conditions in the mountains this morning before dry high pressure returns through Wednesday. A strong cold front will approach the region with abundant moisture on Thursday before the front moves off the Eastern Seaboard on Christmas Day. Very cold air will return behind the front.
The Great Conjunction of 2020
Last night, December 21, Jupiter and Saturn were separated by 0.1 degrees, and appeared as what may have looked like a single bright “star.” A careful observer with good eyesight should have been able to separate them in the sky with the naked eye.
The pair of planets will remain visible at twilight, close to the southwestern horizon in the early evenings following December 21. During January 2021, however, the two planets will become lost in the glare of the Sun.
The above image is from images obtained from a pair of comet binoculars and a camera attached to the eyepiece. [click the image to embiggen to a larger size]
As Jupiter and Saturn had their conjunction just a few days before Christmas, forming what looks like a single bright object in the sky, the 2020 great conjunction is sometimes also called the “Christmas star” or “Bethlehem star.”
Some scholars have theorized that the original Christmas star, known as the Star of Bethlehem, might also have been a great conjunction. According to the Bible, a bright light in the sky led the Three Wise Men to the location of Jesus's birth. Other theories aiming to explain this biblical phenomenon include a supernova explosion and a comet.
Other places to see how the event looked through better equipment than Macon Media had access to can be seen at the following links:
Astronomy Center [LINK]
Griffith Observatory [LINK]
Brad Panovich [LINK]
Above the Fold
[VIDEO] SARS-CoV-2 UK variant: Does it matter? (12-21-2020) [LINK]
Congress agrees to $900 billion Covid stimulus deal after months of failed negotiations [LINK]
UK Coronavirus Mutation | A Doctor Explains
NCDOT to Halt Road Construction for the Holidays [LINK]
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General forecast through Friday night
Franklin area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the mid-50s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. Calm Winds.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Calm Winds early increasing to come out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Wednesday Night
Rain likely before 1am, then showers and then rain after 2am. Lows around 40. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Thursday
Rain before 8am, then showers, mainly between 8am and 3pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Christmas Eve
A 30 percent chance of rain before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper teens.
Christmas Day
Sunny, with highs near freezing.
Christmas Night
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-teens.
Highlands area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the northwest 25 to 30 mph in the morning decreasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the north around 5 mph becoming calm by midnight.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night
Rain before 1am, then showers and then rain after 2am. The rain could be heavy at times. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Thursday
Showers, mainly before 3pm, then a chance of rain after 5pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Highs in the mid-40s. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Christmas Eve
A chance of rain and snow showers before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-teens. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Christmas Day
Sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 20s.
Christmas Night
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-teens.
Otto area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 50s. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing. Calm winds early in the evening increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 8 mph.
Wednesday Night
Rain, mainly after 11pm. Lows around 40. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Thursday
Rain before 8am, then showers, mainly between 8am and 3pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Christmas Eve
A 30 percent chance of rain before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with lows around 20.
Christmas Day
Sunny, with highs near freezing.
Christmas Night
Mostly clear, with lows in the upper teens.
Nantahala area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing. Calm winds early increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 50. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 7 mph.
Wednesday Night
Rain, mainly after 11pm. Lows around 40. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Thursday
Rain before 8am, then showers, mainly between 8am and 3pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Highs in the mid-40s. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Christmas Eve
A 30 percent chance of rain before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper teens.
Christmas Day
Sunny, with highs in the mid-20s.
Christmas Night
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-to-upper teens.
HAZARDS
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for locations in Macon County below 3500 feet and a High Wind Warning for locations above 3500 feet. Be careful out there, especially if you drive a high-profile vehicle. We may also have scattered power outages. More details about the warning and advisory are posted below.
Also, due to the high winds, please do not attempt to burn debris or start campfires today.
High Wind Warning
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
344 AM EST Tue Dec 22 2020
...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST TODAY ABOVE 3500 FEET...
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST TODAY BELOW 3500 FEET...
* WHAT...For the High Wind Warning, northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph at times. For the Wind Advisory, northwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 to 50 mph.
* WHERE...Madison, Swain, Haywood, Buncombe, Graham, Macon and Jackson Counties.
* WHEN...Until noon EST Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. At high elevations, widespread power outages are expected. Outages will be more scattered in nature in the lower valleys. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive.
Wind Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
344 AM EST Tue Dec 22 2020
...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST TODAY ABOVE 3500 FEET...
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST TODAY BELOW 3500 FEET...
* WHAT...For the High Wind Warning, northwest winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph at times. For the Wind Advisory, northwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 to 50 mph.
* WHERE...Madison, Swain, Haywood, Buncombe, Graham, Macon and Jackson Counties.
* WHEN...Until noon EST Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. At high elevations, widespread power outages are expected. Outages will be more scattered in nature in the lower valleys. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive.
COVID-19 Briefing
The COVID-19 Briefing for this morning is online. [LINK]
Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th.
Cases
1287 Detected
(+76 from Friday and +180 from last Monday and +378 in four weeks)
257 Active
(+76 from Friday and +134 from last Monday and +203 in four weeks)
1021 Recovered
(unchanged from Friday and +46 from last Monday and +174 in four weeks)
9 Deaths
(unchanged from Friday and unchanged from last Monday and unchanged in four weeks)
Testing
7708 by MCPH
(+4 from Friday and +179 from last Monday and +825 in four weeks)
4742 by Others
(+168 from Friday and +237 from last Monday and +1077 in four weeks)
12450 total
(+821 from Friday and +416 from last Monday and +1902 in four weeks)
92 tests pending results
(-145 from Friday and -192 from last Monday and +2 in four weeks)
Air Quality
Air quality is in the middle range of green today for all elevations.
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be low (2.4 out of 12) with a mixed trace of sources being the culprits. Tomorrow is expected to about the same (0.5 out of 12).
Weather Extremes for Macon County for December 22ndt
Highest Temperature 68°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2013
lowest Temperature -2°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1960
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 4.12 inches in Highlands in 1918
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 7.0 inches in Franklin in 1873
Weather Extremes for Macon County for the Month of December
Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin in 1951
lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands in 1917
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands in 1901 Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin in 1876
TROPICAL WEATHER
(The North Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1st to Nov 30th)
The North Atlantic Hurricane Season is over for the year. If anything does develop, the information will be posted in this section of the weather briefing.
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Published at 5:00am on Tuesday, December 22, 2020
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