OUTLOOK
Dry high pressure will set up through our area through today before a Gulf Coast low pressure system passes mostly south of the region Friday night into Saturday, with minimal chance for rainfall. Canadian high pressure builds back into the area Sunday, maintaining warm, dry conditions through the middle of next week. Relative humidities will fall below 30% in most of the county this afternoon, so please be mindful of burning outdoors today. Make sure you have an adequate fireline and water ready if you decide you can't put it off for a few days.
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News Highlights
Macon County Public Health Moves into Group 3 Vaccination Appointments
Under the direction of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Macon County Public Health and other vaccine providers have begun to vaccinate individuals who qualify to receive the vaccine as frontline, essential workers. Macon County Public Health has worked through a majority of the existing waitlist, including those who are 65-years of age or older who previously qualified for their vaccine.
MCPH has continued to receive special event dosage from NC DHHS and will have a delivery of one-thousand-seven-hundred (1,700) next week. MCPH will have both the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines next week.
NC DHHS is defining frontline, essential workers as those who must be in-person at your place of work, in the following sectors: critical manufacturing, education (including college and university staff), essential goods (including workers at any store that sells groceries or medicine), food and agriculture (including restaurant workers), government and community services (including workers at non-profit organizations), public safety, transportation, and all remaining health care and public health workers.
You can learn more about who may qualify at: [https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines/find-your-spot- take-your-shot]
Individuals in Group 3 that want to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, must call Macon County’s Vaccine Call Center at 828-524-1500 to register and schedule an appointment. The Macon County Vaccine Call Center is open Monday – Friday, from 8:00am to 5:00pm.
• Barbara McRae, the Vice-Mayor of Franklin, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. [Facebook]
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| Local Rabies Clinics |
Macon County has identified an additional rabies-positive raccoon. A citizen reported a potentially rabid raccoon to Macon County Animal Services, the animal was then brought back to the shelter, euthanized, and sent for testing. There is no known exposure to this animal. The animal was picked up in the Cowee Township of the county.
While rabies is endemic to bats, skunks, and raccoons in North Carolina, the best prevention is the rabies vaccination. In light of recent rabies-positive animals, Macon County Animal Services will be sponsoring low-cost rabies vaccination clinics at local schools on March 27th and April 10th. More details can be found on Macon County Animal Services Facebook page. Macon County residents are encouraged to ensure that their animals are up-to-date on all vaccinations.
Macon County Animal Services Section Administrator, Dr. Villiard, said of the incident, “While rabies is endemic is skunks, raccoons and bats in North Carolina, the recent increase in the number of detected cases in Macon County does raise concern for our pets. We are actively coordinating with our local veterinarians to schedule low-cost rabies vaccine clinics, to make sure that the pets of Macon County are protected.”
Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system in humans and other mammals. A person may contract rabies through a bite, scratch, or saliva from an infected animal. Potential rabies exposure should never be taken lightly; left untreated, rabies is fatal.
Animals do not have to be aggressive or behaving erratically to have the rabies virus. Changes in any animal’s normal behavior can be early signs of rabies. Any exposure to these animals should be reported to Macon County Animal Services, so that the animal can be located and tested for rabies.
Macon County pet owners should also be sure to check their pet’s last rabies vaccination is up-to-date, to prevent a possible rabies infection.
In addition to keeping your pets vaccinated, pet owners should keep cats and ferrets indoors and keep dogs under direct supervision, by spaying or neutering their pets to help reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly, and call animal control to remove all stray animals from their neighborhood since these animals may be unvaccinated or ill.
Every day citizens should also be sure to prevent rabies in themselves by leaving wildlife alone, wash animal bites and scratches with soap and water, vaccinating pets, and contacting your healthcare provider immediately after you are bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed to an animal who may be positive for rabies. Rabies in people is preventable through prompt medical care.
• The latest local COVID-19 numbers, charts, and tables have been posted [LINK]
Recent Local Government Meetings
• Franklin Town Council - March 2021 Regular Meeting [LINK]
• The Macon County Board of Commissioners -Special Called Meeting (02-26-2021) [LINK]
• Macon County Board of Education - February 2021 Regular Meeting [LINK]
• Macon County Board of Commissioners - February 2021 Regular Meeting [LINK]
• Franklin Town Council - February 2021 Regular Meeting [LINK]
• The latest local COVID-19 numbers, charts, and tables have been posted [LINK]
• Annual 4-H Plant Sales for 2021 Announced [LINK]
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Sunday Night
Franklin area
Today
(Use caution if burning outdoors this afternoon)
Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Winds out of the north 3 to 5 mph.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 50. Calm winds early increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Sunday Night
Clear, with lows in the mid-20s.
Highlands area
(Use caution if burning outdoors this afternoon)
Today
Sunny, with highs near 50. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the north around 5 mph.
Saturday
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Clear, with lows in the mid-20s. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night
Clear, with lows in the upper 20s.
Otto area
(Use caution if burning outdoors this afternoon)
Today
Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s. Winds out of the north 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the north around 5 mph.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the lower 50s. Calm winds early increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Sunday Night
Clear, with lows in the mid-to-upper 20s.
Nantahala area
(Use caution if burning outdoors this afternoon)
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s. Light and variable winds early increasing to come out of the north 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Tonigh
t Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the north 3 to 5 mph.
Saturday
Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Calm winds early increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Sunday Night
Clear, with lows in the mid-20s.
HAZARDS
In general, hazardous weather is not excpected today. Relative humidities will fall below 30% in most of the county this afternoon, so please be mindful of burning outdoors today. Make sure you have an adequate fireline and water ready if you decide you can't put it off for a few days.
Air Quality
Air quality is in the upper range of green for most of the county, including the ridges and other higher elevations today.
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium-high range (9.1 out of 12) today with Alder, Juniper, and Elm being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be lower, in the medium range (6.9 out of 12).
Weather Extremes for Macon County on March 5th
Highest Temperature 77°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1955
Lowest Temperature -1°F in Highlands in 1960
Greatest One-Day Rain 2.68 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2008
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 2.5 inches in Highlands in 1980
March Weather Extremes for Macon County
Highest Temperature 86°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on March 15, 1967
Lowest Temperature -7°F in Highlands on March 7, 1899
Greatest One-Day Rain 6.43 inches in Highlands on March 29, 1898
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on March 13, 1993
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Published at 4:36am on Friday, March 05, 2021
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