News and Weather Briefing for Friday, January 29, 2021

OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

Canadian high pressure will return dry and cold conditions to the region through Saturday, before a moist cold front and associated precipitation arrive from the west Saturday night into Sunday, with some wintry precipitation possible once again. Cold high pressure builds in through Wednesday before another cold front approaches from the west on Thursday.


News Highlights



• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are inteneded to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

• Robinhood: What you need to know about the app at the center of the GameStop drama [CNET]

• GameStop short squeeze (this Wikipedia article is a good explainer article with lots of links to where you can find out even more information about what has happened and why this is happening [CNBC]



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General forecast through Sunday Night


Franklin area

Today

Sunny, with highss near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Calm winds.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with highss near 50. Calm winds in thge morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Rain, mainly after 1am. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. Highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Highlands area

Today

Sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming light and variable before midnight.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 30s. Light and variable winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Sleet likely before 3am, then rain likely, then rain or freezing rain after 4am. Lows around 30. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as highs as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 2am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Otto area

Today

Sunny, with highs near 48. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Calm winds.

Saturday

A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Rain, mainly after 1am. lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the sSoutheast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain before 7pm, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Nantahala area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 6 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s. Light and variable winds.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of thesouthwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Rain, mainly after 1am. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as highs as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. Highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 40%.



HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not anticipated today.



COVID-19 BRIEFING

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

See the Biden Administration COVID-19 Plan [LINK]

COVID-19 in the Schools (January 25th Video)



At the January 25th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr Baldwin informed board members that 158 students and 22 staff out of school due to either being tested positive for COVID-19, or having to be isolated due to possible exposure.

NEW POSITIVE COVID-19 PUBLIC SCHOOL CASES (January 28th)

Mountain View Intermediate School-2
Franklin High School-2
Iotla Valley Elementary School-1


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. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted.

VACCINE DELIVERY
(The health department received its first shipment on December 30th)

Vaccines Given Thursday 90, Wednesday 92, Tuesday 95, Monday 100
Current Inventory Thursday 50, Wednesday 140, Tuesday 230, Monday 120
Total Vaccines Given Thursday 2455, Wednesday 2365, Tuesday 2273, Monday 2178
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published)

Cases

2632 Detected
(+19 from Tuesday and +1667 from last Wednesday and +1018 from four weeks ago)

527 Active
(-14 from Tuesday and -51 last Wednesday and +98 from four weeks ago)

2101 Recovered
(+33 from Tuesday and +216 last Wednesday and +914 from four weeks ago)

18 Deaths
(unchanged from Tuesday and +1 from last Wednesday and +6 from four weeks ago)

Testing

8684 by MCPH
+913 from Tuesday and +322 from last Wednesday and +854 from four weeks ago)

6967 by Others
(+24 from Tuesday and +345 from last Wednesday and +1852 from four weeks ago)

15651 total
(+115 from Tuesday and +667 from last Wednesday and +2706 from four weeks ago)

240 tests pending results
(+2 from Tuesday and +71 from last Wednesday and +168 from four weeks ago)

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Published at 5:00am on Friday, January 29, 2021

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