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Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
Local and StateNews
Russo-UKrainian War Updates
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
Russo-Ukrainian War Videos (mostly long form)
On This Day
Support Macon Media
GENERAL OUTLOOK
Dry and cool high pressure builds in from the west today. A weak low pressure system tracking across the Gulf brings a chance of light precipitation mainly across the southern zones Tuesday. On Wednesday, an area of low pressure will be offshore of the Carolinas before lifting north across the eastern Carolinas Wednesday night into Thursday. This will keep the potential for precipitation around. A potent low pressure system tracks across the region Thursday night into Friday and may bring the potential for snow in the mountains. There is lower confidence of snow occurring east of the mountains on Friday. A very cold arctic airmass will spill into the region behind a cold front Friday morning into the weekend.
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Local Weather
General Forecast Through Wednesday Night
Franklin Area
Today
Cloudy, with highs in the mid 40s. Calm winds.
Tonight
Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 20s. Calm winds.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night
Rain likely, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 60%.
Thursday
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 50. Chance of rain is 70%.
Thursday Night
Showers. Low in the mid 20s. Chance of rain is 90%.
Highlands Plateau
Today
A 20 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Cloudy, with highs in the mid 30s. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 5 mph.
Tonight
A slight chance of sleet before 8pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 20s. Calm winds in the early evening increasing to come out of the northeast around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of rain is 20%.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night
A slight chance of rain or freezing rain before 8pm, then rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Winds out of the east 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 70%.
Thursday
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the lower 40s. Chance of rain is 70%.
Thursday Night
Showers. Low in the mid 20s. Breezy. Chance of rain is 90%.
Otto and South Central Macon County
Today
A 20 percent chance of rain after noon. Cloudy, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Light winds out of the south.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Calm winds.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night
Rain likely, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Winds out of the east wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of rain is 60%.
Thursday
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 50. Chance of rain is 70%.
Thursday Night
Showers. Lows in the mid 20s. Chance of rain is 90%.
Nantahala Area
Today
Cloudy, with highs in the lower 40s. Calm winds.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with lows around 30. Calm winds.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Calm winds.
Wednesday Night
Rain likely, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 60%.
Thursday
Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid to upper 40s. Chance of rain is 60%.
Thursday Night
Showers. Lows in the lower 20s. Chance of rain is 90%.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
Hazardous weather is not expected today or tonight.
A low pressure system is expected to impact the forecast area late this week. A wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow will be possible Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with only minor snow and ice accumulations anticipated before precipitation changes over to rain. Precipitation will change over to snow Thursday night and linger into Friday across the mountains. Only light snow accumulations are expected, but roads may still be wet as temperatures fall below freezing, resulting patchy black ice by Friday afternoon.
Arctic air will spread over the region Friday, producing strong, gusty winds and dangerous wind chill values that will continue through the weekend. Gusts of 35 to 45 mph may cause some travel difficulties, downed trees, and power outages during the day Friday. Water in poorly insulated or open pipes could freeze due to the prolonged duration of this cold airmass.
Latest US Drought Monitor Map for North Carolina.
Back to Top TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
• Damaging 2022 Atlantic hurricane season draws to a close [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]
• Atlantic hurricane season ends with 14 named storms [AP News]
Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
700 PM EST Wed Nov 30 2022
For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days.
This is the last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2023. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
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Almanac
24 Hour Smoke Forecast
No known appreciable smoke field will be crossing Macon County today or tonight.
PM2.5 AQI is 55 (MODERATE) for most of the county, and the ridges and other higher elevations PM2.5 AQI is 55 (MODERATE)
Fire and Smoke Map
Local Air Monitor
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (0.3 out of 12) today with Juniper being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (0.8 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 20th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 72°F in Highlands in 1931
lowest Temperature -1°F in Franklin in 1981
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.06 inches in Highlands in 1957
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 2.0 inches in Highlands in 1903
Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of December Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on 12-31-1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on 12-30-1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.25 inches in Highlands on 12-28-2018
Greatest Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on 12-21-1876
Record Weather Events for December 20th in North Carolina
Highest Temperature 86°F in Fayetteville, Cumberland County in 1931
Lowest Temperature -13°F in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County in 2004
Greatest Rainfall 3.06 inches at the Highlands, Macon County in 1957
Greatest Snowfall 16.0 inches in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County in 2003
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of December Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 87°F in Edenton, Chowan County on 12-03-1922
Lowest Temperature -21°F in Banner Elk, Avery County on 12-30-1917
Greatest Rainfall 7.80 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 12-29-2018
Greatest Snowfall 25.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 12-09-2017
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
No events have been submitted for Macon Calendar.
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Local and State News
• Planning for winter freeze: Tips to staying safe & warm as the temperature drops [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]
• NC elections board to consider removing Surry County elections officials [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• In WNC, abortion drove Democrats to the polls – but it wasn’t enough to stop the red wave [BPR]
• Stamper, Oocumma win Tribal Council seats [Smoky Mountain News]
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Special Section: The Russo-Ukrainian War
(sharing of a particular source is not an endorsement)
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 19 [Institute for the Study of War] [PDF for December 19th]
• Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 298 [Al Jazeera]
• LIVEBLOG: 300th day of Russian aggression against Ukraine [TVP World]
• Russo-Ukrainian War. Day 299: Russian attacks keep killing civilians in Ukraine [Euromaiden Press]
Russian Defense Minister Shoigu Visited Ukraine... At SOME Point | Funker 530 Veteran Community
Timothy Snyder: Making of Modern Ukraine (23 Lectures) | Yale Courses
• Class Syllabus ["The Making of Modern Ukraine," Fall 2022]
• With Soviet-Era Artillery Shells Running Out, Ukrainian Forces Drive Demand For New Production [Radio Free Europe]
• Putin tells security services to find ‘traitors and spies’: Media [Al Jazeera]
• To quit Russian gas, EU burns billions on LNG [DW News]
• Russian 'kamikaze' drones hit Kyiv as Putin heads for Belarus[France 24]
• Idea of joining war in Ukraine on Russia's side is unpopular in Belarus [TVP World]
• Ukraine to boost Belarus border defences as Putin meets Lukashenko [BBC News]
News from Russian or pro-Russian outlets or Video About the Russian Perspective
• Belarus deploys new weapons [Russia Today]
• American People to Zelensky – Get Your Hands Out My Pocket! [Pravda]
• Envoy slams as far-fetched allegations of Russia’s use of Iranian drones in Ukraine [TASS]
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National and World News Roundup
• Iran judiciary slammed after executions of protesters [DW News]
• Iranians Hold Large Protests On First Day Of 3-Day Action [Iran International]
• Live Coverage of the January 6th Committee Final Public Meeting - Stream Starts at 1pm [Macon Media]
• Jan. 6 committee approves criminal referrals against Trump for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election [NBC News]
• The Four Criminal Charges in Jan. 6 Committee’s Trump Referral [WSJ (video and audio)] [WSJ]
• DOJ cares about the evidence, not the criminal referrals [Politico]
• Supreme Court agrees to prop up asylum limits from early pandemic [Courthouse News Service]
• States ask Supreme Court to keep Title 42 border policy in effect [SCOTUSblog]
• Jury finds Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape at Los Angeles trial [ABC News Australia]
• Tesla gets downgraded on Wall Street over Elon Musk’s Twitter antics, banning of journalists [CNN]
• Human heart found in Tennessee salt stockpile [NBC News]
Supreme Court temporarily delays end of Trump-era Title 42 immigration policy | CBS News
Washington Today (12/19/2022): Jan. 6 committee refers Trump to Justice Department for prosecution | C-SPAN Radio
Global National: Dec. 19, 2022 | Five dead in mass shooting at condo building in Vaughan, Ont.
Nightly News Full Broadcast (December 19th)
PBS NewsHour full episode, December 19, 2022
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Here is a section on COVID-19. It includes local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County:
• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard [World Health Organization]
In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 5:07pm CET, 16 December 2022, there have been 98,525,870 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,077,129 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 2 December 2022, a total of 647,345,101 vaccine doses have been administered.
Globally, as of 5:07pm CET, 16 December 2022, there have been 647,972,911 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,642,832 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 13 December 2022, a total of 13,008,560,983 vaccine doses have been administered.
• A New Subspecialty Arises: Managing the Neurologic Complications of Long COVID [Neurology Today]
• CVS, Walgreens limit purchase of children's pain medicines [Reuters]
• Nearly half of Americans age 18 to 29 are living with their parents [Quartz]
• COVID-19 vaccines protect against more than just COVID [Fierce Healthcare]
• Don’t Look Now, But the Culture War Is Turning Back to COVID [Time Magazine]
• From Zero Covid to No Plan: Behind China’s Pandemic U-Turn [New York Times]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
• Tandem solar cell achieves 32.5% efficiency [Tech Xplore]
• Critical Windows code-execution vulnerability went undetected until now [ARS TECHNICA]
• Man Fakes His Entire Life for a Month With Convincing AI-Generated Photos [My Modern Met]
• Hacked Ring Cams Used to Record Swatting Victims [Krebs on Security]
• York research: AI better than human eye at predicting brain metastasis outcomes [York University]
• Japan designates chips, batteries strategically critical materials [Kyodo News]
• FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried agrees to be extradited to US after chaotic hearing[ABC News]
• Molecule that mimics insulin opens new doors for a diabetes pill [New Atlas]
Semi-permanent links
• Fall of Civilizations #16. Bagan - City of Temples [Fall of Civilizations Podcast]
• 25 tips to help you prepare for the 2024 total solar eclipse [Astronomy Magazine]
• Neal Stephenson’s Lamina1 drops white paper on building the open metaverse [Venture Beat] [PDF of White paper]
• Yes, the Great Books Make Us Better People [New York Times]
Podcasts and Long Form Videos (History, Culture, Science, Space, Technology and Current Events)
Anything covering educational, entertainment, history, current events, and technology topics
The Level1 Show December 20 2022: CBDCs Are Coming to Town | Level1Techs
NFL Long Game - DTNS 4418 | Daily Tech News Show
2022 Year End AMA | PBS Space Time
Linux Saloon 17 Dec 2022 Christmas Edition
Once a Millennium Alignment of All Three Norths | Stand-up Maths
Where's Starship? Terran 1 Gets Closer to Launch | NASA Spaceflight
Tracking Elon Musk's Jet N628TS | Ground Control
Why Spacecraft Are Using These Crazy Routes To The Moon - Weak Stability and Ballistic Capture | Scott Manley
The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler: Leading Millions into the Abyss | BBC Select
America's New Bomber Needs to Chill Out | Task and Purpose
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Russo-Ukrainian War Videos (mostly long form)
--> Is Putin planning to flee Russia? - Mark Galeotti | Times Radio
Putin meets Lukashenko amid fears Moscow wants to pressure Minsk to join a new offensive | DW News
Ukraine, Russia & NATO: interview with Sir Tony Radakin - Ukraine: The Latest | The Telegraph Podcast
Russian Defense Minister Shoigu Visited Ukraine... At SOME Point | Funker 530 Veteran Community
Is Putin’s Russia planning a new attack on Kyiv with Belarus support? | Channel 4 News
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On This Day
December 20th is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 11 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
AD 69 – Priscus enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor for Nero's former general Vespasian.
1192 – Richard I of England is captured and imprisoned by Leopold V of Austria on his way home to England after the Third Crusade.
1334 – Cistercian Jacques Fournier is elected Pope Benedict XII.
1803 – The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans.
• [Wikipedia: Louisiana Purchase]
• [State papers and correspondence bearing upon the purchase of the territory of Louisiana]
• [The Louisiana Purchase, and our title west of the Rocky Mountains : with a review of annexation by the United States]
1808 – Peninsular War: The Siege of Zaragoza begins.
1832 – HMS Clio under the command of Captain Onslow arrives at Port Egmont under orders to take possession of the Falkland Islands.
1860 – South Carolina becomes the first state to attempt to secede from the United States.
1915 – World War I: The last Australian troops are evacuated from Gallipoli.
1917 – Cheka, the first Soviet secret police force, is founded.
1924 – Adolf Hitler is released from Landsberg Prison.
1941 – World War II: First battle of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the "Flying Tigers", in Kunming, China.
• [Wikipedia: Flying Tigers]
• [Official Website]
• [VIDEO: General Chennault's Flying Tigers]
1942 – World War II: Japanese air forces bomb Calcutta, India.
1943 - German fighter pilot Franz Stiglar encounters a crippled B-17 piloted Charlie Brown in what is known as the "Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler incident."
Franz & Charlie
The Stigler-Brown Incident Animation
No Bullets Fly – Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler – Sabaton History 016
SABATON - No Bullets Fly (Animated Story Video)
• [Wikipedia article]
• [Wikipedia: A Higher Call]
• [VIDEO: An extraordinary code of honour]
• [VIDEO: The Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown Incident]
1946 – The popular Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life is first released in New York City.
1948 – Indonesian National Revolution: The Dutch military captures Yogyakarta, the temporary capital of the newly formed Republic of Indonesia.
1951 – The EBR-1 in Arco, Idaho becomes the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity. The electricity powered four light bulbs.
• [Wikipedia: Experimental Breeder Reactor I]
• [VIDEO: Nuclear Pioneers: EBR-I]
• [Official Website: Idaho National Laboratory]
1952 – A United States Air Force C-124 crashes and burns in Moses Lake, Washington, killing 87.
1955 – Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales, United Kingdom.
1957 – The initial production version of the Boeing 707 makes its first flight.
1967 – A Pennsylvania Railroad Budd Metroliner exceeds 249 kilometres per hour (155 mph) on their New York Division, also present-day Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.
1968 – The Zodiac Killer kills Betty Lou Jenson and David Faraday in Vallejo, California.
1971 – The international aid organization Doctors Without Borders is founded by Bernard Kouchner and a group of journalists in Paris, France.
1973 – The Prime Minister of Spain, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, is assassinated by a car bomb attack in Madrid.
1984 – The Summit Tunnel fire, one of the largest transportation tunnel fires in history, burns after a freight train carrying over one million liters of gasoline derails near the town of Todmorden, England, in the Pennines.
1984 – Disappearance of Jonelle Matthews from Greeley, Colorado. Her remains were discovered on July 23, 2019, located about 24 km (15 mi) southeast of Jonelle's home. The cause of death "was a gunshot wound to the head."
1985 – Pope John Paul II announces the institution of World Youth Day.
1987 – In the worst peacetime sea disaster, the passenger ferry Doña Paz sinks after colliding with the oil tanker 'MT Vector in the Tablas Strait of the Philippines, killing an estimated 4,000 people (1,749 official).
1989 – The United States invasion of Panama deposes Manuel Noriega.
• [Wikipedia: United States invasion of Panama]
• [CBS News - Panama invasion - 1989-12-20]
• [VIDEO: What Prompted The Surprise US Invasion Of Panama? | Secrets Of War | Timeline]
• [Wikipedia: War on drugs]
1991 – A Missouri court sentences the Palestinian militant Zein Isa and his wife Maria to death for the honor killing of their daughter Palestina.
1995 – NATO begins peacekeeping in Bosnia.
1995 – American Airlines Flight 965, a Boeing 757, crashes into a mountain 50 km north of Cali, Colombia, killing 159.
1999 – Macau is handed over to China by Portugal.
2004 – A gang of thieves steal £26.5 million worth of currency from the Donegall Square West headquarters of Northern Bank in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, one of the largest bank robberies in British history.
2007 – Elizabeth II becomes the oldest monarch of the United Kingdom, surpassing Queen Victoria, who lived for 81 years and 243 days.
2007 – The Portrait of Suzanne Bloch (1904), by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, and O Lavrador de Café by Brazilian modernist painter Cândido Portinari, are stolen from the São Paulo Museum of Art.
2018 – US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis announces his resignation after disagreements with President Donald Trump
2019 – The United States Space Force becomes the first new branch of the United States Armed Forces since 1947.
• [VIDEO - U.S. Space Force: Origins]
• [Wikipedia: United States Space Force]
• [Official Website]
• [VIDEO: What is Exactly the US Space Force]
2020 – European countries begin closing their borders to the UK after news of a faster-spreading variant of COVID-19 across London and the south-east
2021 – First Hong Kong legislative elections with only 'patriot' candidates allowed to stand has low turnout of 30%
2021 – Tensions continue to mount as Russian forces gather along the border of Ukraine.
• Polish, Lithuanian Leaders Back Kyiv And Call For No 'Concessions' To Russia [Radio Free Europe]
• Russian court accidentally documents Moscow’s military presence in Donbas [The Kyiv Independent]
• Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby says a small Department of Defense team has returned from Ukraine after assessing the country's air defences [The Drive]
• Russia Cuts Gas Supplies to Europe as Temperatures Drop [The Moscow Times]
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Published at 3:00am on Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac 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, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top
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