Daily Weather Briefing for Sunday, December 2, 2018

Former President George HW Bush has passed away in Texas. He was 94 years old. The President and Governor have ordered the flag to be flown at half-staff until sunrise on December 31st. President Trump has ordered a National Day of Mourning to take place on Wednesday, December 5th. All federal offices will be closed that day.

[FLAGS ORDERED LOWERED/NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING]

[HOUSTON CHRONICLE]  [WIKIPEDIA]

Local Government Meetings Scheduled Monday Night

The Franklin Town Council will be meeting at 6 pm on December 3rd in the lower level of the town hall. The public agenda and agenda packet are posted on the blog. [LINK]

The Macon County Board of Commissioners will be meeting at 6 pm on December 3rd in the Commissioner Boardroom on the third floor of the county courthouse. The public agenda and agenda packet are posted on the blog. [LINK]


Outlook

Over the weekend, a significant low-pressure system will develop to our west and bring widespread precipitation to the region. A cold front will move through the forecast area late Sunday and then stall to our east on Monday. Broad high pressure will then gradually spread back over the area by midweek.


THREE DAY GFS FORECAST
This animated image shows a forecast of precipitation, air pressure and thickness level (cold-air damming) for three days in six-hour increments.
Green, Yellow, and Red indicate rain. Orange and Purple Indicate Freezing Rain or other freezing precipitation. Blue indicates snow.

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WEATHER SPONSOR



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your with your next project.

---

Weather Hazards

Hazardous weather is not anticipated today. There is potential for a winter weather event next weekend. Macon Media will be monitoring the situation.

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WEATHER FORECAST MAPS

Forecast maps for 7 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm.
[click on any image in this article to enlarge]

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FRANKLIN AREA FORECAST

Today

A chance of showers before noon, then a slight chance of rain between noon and 2pm. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near the upper 60s. Calm wind rising to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch expected.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Winds out of the south wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Calm wind rising to come out of the west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around freezing. Winds out of the northwest wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high near the mid-to-upper 40s.

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.

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OTTO AREA FORECAST

Today

A chance of showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain between 11am and 1pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near the mid-to-upper 60s. Light winds out of the west shifting to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of rain is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Winds out of the west 3 to 6 mph.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Winds out fo the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Monday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 35. Winds out of the northwest around 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high in the upper 40s.

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low in the upper 20s.

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HIGHLANDS PLATEAU FORECAST

Today

A chance of showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain between 11am and 1pm. Widespread dense fog, mainly in the morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high in the upper 50s. Winds out of the southwest 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of rain is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Winds out of the west 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near the lower 50s. Winds out of the west 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Monday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around freezing. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high near 40.

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 25.

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NANTAHALA AREA FORECAST

Today

A chance of showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain between 11am and 1pm. Widespread dense fog, mainly before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 60. Breezy, with winds out of the southwest 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of rain is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low in the lower 40s. Winds out of the west 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high in the lower 50s. Winds out of the west 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Winds out of the northwest around 10 mph.

Tuesday

Partly sunny, with a high near 40.

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low near the lower 20s.

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Macon County Almanac for December 2, 2018

Highest Temperature 71°F in Franklin in 1970
Lowest Temperature 8°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1960
Greatest Rainfall 3.14 inches in Highlands in 2015
Greatest Snowfall 4.0 inches in Highlands in 1896

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CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES


If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.


Become a Patron!
If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

Published at 2:12 am on December 2, 2018

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Lowering of United States and North Carolina Flags in Honor of 41st U.S. President George H.W. Bush Presidential Proclamation Announcing the Death of George H.W. Bush

Flags Lowered at the Macon County Courthouse on December 1, 2018

**note** A Presidential Proclamation has been added at the end of this press release.


PRESS RELEASE
NC Dept of Administration
Secretary Machelle Sanders


Governor Roy Cooper has ordered all United States and North Carolina flags flown at state facilities in North Carolina be lowered to half-staff immediately in honor and remembrance of the life of our nation's 41st U.S. President, George H.W. Bush. As outlined in U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, §7, flags are to remain at half-staff for a period of 30 days. Flags will return to full-staff on December 31, 2018, at sunrise.



"President George H.W. Bush was a true statesman dedicated to serving the country he loved and leading the charge for a more compassionate and united world," said Governor Cooper. "We are grateful for his commitment to patriotism and public service. May his legacy inspire all of us to work toward a kinder and gentler nation, and may our thoughts and prayers bring comfort to his family."

-30-

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Presidential Proclamation Announcing the Death of George H.W. Bush

It is my sorrowful duty to announce officially the death of George Herbert Walker Bush, the forty-first President of the United States, on November 30, 2018.

President Bush led a great American life, one that combined and personified two of our Nation’s greatest virtues: an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to public service. Our country will greatly miss his inspiring example.

On the day he turned 18, 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, George H.W. Bush volunteered for combat duty in the Second World War. The youngest aviator in United States naval history at the time, he flew 58 combat missions, including one in which, after taking enemy fire, he parachuted from his burning plane into the Pacific Ocean. After the war, he returned home and started a business. In his words, “the big thing” he learned from this endeavor was “the satisfaction of creating jobs.”

The same unselfish spirit that motivated his business pursuits later inspired him to resume the public service he began as a young man. First, as a member of Congress, then as Ambassador to the United Nations, Chief of the United States Liaison Office in China, Director of Central Intelligence, Vice President, and finally President of the United States, George H.W. Bush guided our Nation through the Cold War, to its peaceful and victorious end, and into the decades of prosperity that have followed. Through sound judgment, practical wisdom, and steady leadership, President Bush made safer the second half of a tumultuous and dangerous century.

Even with all he accomplished in service to our Nation, President Bush remained humble. He never believed that government — even when under his own leadership — could be the source of our Nation’s strength or its greatness. America, he rightly told us, is illuminated by “a thousand points of light,” “ethnic, religious, social, business, labor union, neighborhood, regional and other organizations, all of them varied, voluntary and unique” in which Americans serve Americans to build and maintain the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth. President Bush recognized that these communities of people are the true source of America’s strength and vitality.

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of one of America’s greatest points of light, the death of President George H.W. Bush.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, in honor and tribute to the memory of President George H.W. Bush, and as an expression of public sorrow, do hereby direct that the flag of the United States be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions for a period of 30 days from the day of his death. I also direct that, for the same length of time, the representatives of the United States in foreign countries shall make similar arrangements for the display of the flag at half-staff over their embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

I hereby order that suitable honors be rendered by units of the Armed Forces under orders of the Secretary of Defense.

I do further appoint December 5, 2018, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States. I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President George H.W. Bush. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES


If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.



Become a Patron!
If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

Published at 8:50 am on December 1, 2018 
Updated with photo of the Macon County Courthouse
Updated with Presidentail Proclamation

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Weather Briefing for Saturday, December 1, 2018 Multiple Accidents Snarl Traffic in Macon and Jackson Counties

News Brief (a lot happened yesterday)

Cartoons by Marshall Ramsey [LINK] 

Former President George HW Bush has passed away in Texas. He was 94 years old. [HOUSTON CHRONICLE]  [WIKIPEDIA]

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred Friday morning near Anchorage, Alaska [WIKIPEDIA]

A series of accidents snarled traffic on US-441 Friday afternoon for several hours between Cagle Branch Road in Jackson County to just south of Watauga Road in Macon County. The first accident, near the runaway truck ramp in Jackson County, claimed one life and injured multiple others. The NCSHP (Highway Patrol) has not released the name of the deceased as of 2 am Saturday. Shortly before 5 pm, another accident occurred on Cagle Branch Road and vehicle recovery had to take place from US-441. Macon Media was unable to determine from radio traffic if there were injuries in this accident. A third accident occurred shortly before 5:35 pm at or near the entrance to Pumpkinntown Road at the foot of Cowee Mountain in Jackson County. Two vehicles were involved and five people were injured. These accidents contributed to a period of several hours where traffic was either at a standstill, or moving very slowly as personnel extricated victims, rendered aid to them, and attempted to direct traffic and assist multiple ambulances from Harris Regional Hospital, Glenville-Cashiers Fire Department, and Macon County EMS to the scene and back out to the hospital. There were also multiple accidents in other locations in both Macon and Jackson Counties in the afternoon, with another on US-441 near Cherokee also claiming a life. [MACON MEDIA]  [WLOS-TV] [RESCUE SQUAD]


The Franklin Town Council will be meeting at 6 pm on December 3rd in the lower level of the town hall. The public agenda and agenda packet is posted on the blog. [LINK]

The Macon County Board of Commissioners will be meeting at 6 pm on December 3rd in the Commissioner Boardroom on the third floor of the county courthouse. The public agenda and agenda packet is posted on the blog. [LINK]



Outlook

Over the weekend, a significant low-pressure system will develop to our west and bring widespread precipitation to the region. A cold front will move through the forecast area late Sunday and then stall to our east on Monday. Broad high pressure will then gradually spread back over the area by midweek.


THREE DAY GFS FORECAST
This animated image shows a forecast of precipitation, air pressure and thickness level (cold-air damming) for three days in six-hour increments.
Green, Yellow, and Red indicate rain. Orange and Purple Indicate Freezing Rain or other freezing precipitation. Blue indicates snow.

---

WEATHER SPONSOR



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your with your next project.

---

Weather Hazards

Hazardous weather is not anticipated today. 

When driving in the rain, please turn on your headlights so other motorists can see you and slow down, increasing your following distance.

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WEATHER FORECAST MAPS

Forecast maps for 7 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm.
[click on any image in this article to enlarge]

---

FRANKLIN AREA FORECAST

Today

Rain likely, mainly between 9am and 11am, then showers likely after 11am. Patchy fog in the morning. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 55. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then a chance of showers. Patchy fog overnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Winds out of the south around 5 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday

A chance of showers before 9am, then a slight chance of rain until mid-afternoon. Patchy fog in the morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near the upper 60s. Calm winds in the morning rising to come out of the southwest around 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Calm wind.

Monday

Partly sunny, with a high near 60.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low near the upper 30s.

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OTTO AREA FORECAST

Today

Rain, mainly before 11am, then showers after 11am. Patchy fog before 9am, then patchy fog after 5pm. High near 55. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low near the lower 50s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday

A chance of showers before 9am, then a slight chance of rain between 9am and 3pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near the upper 60s. Calm winds in the morning rising to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch expected.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low near the upper 40s. Light and variable winds.

Monday

Partly sunny, with a high near 60.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.

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HIGHLANDS PLATEAU FORECAST

Today

Rain, mainly before 11am, then showers after 11am. Patchy fog possible into the afternoon and evening. High near 50. Winds out of the southeast 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch expected.

Tonight

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Areas of fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 50. Winds out of the southeast 10 to 15 mph shifting to come out of the southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday

A chance of showers before 10am, then a slight chance of rain between 10am and 3pm. Patchy fog in the morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 60. Winds out of the southwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch expected.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph.

Monday

Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.

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NANTAHALA AREA FORECAST

Today

Showers likely before 9am, then rain likely between 9am and 11am, then showers likely afterward. Patchy fog in the morning and perhaps into the afternoon in locations that are sheltered from the wind. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 55. Winds out of the south 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch expected.

Tonight

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog overnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Winds out of the south 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday

A chance of showers before 9am, then a slight chance of rain between 9am and 2pm. Patchy fog in the morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near the lower 60s. Winds of the southwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. Winds out of the west 5 to 10 mph.

Monday

Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.

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Macon County Almanac for December 1, 2018

Highest Temperature 73°F in Franklin in 1962
Lowest Temperature 6°F in Highlands in 1903
Greatest Rainfall 2.00 inches in Franklin in 1878
Greatest Snowfall 3.0 inches in Highlands in 1918

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CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES


If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.


Become a Patron!
If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

Published at 3:45 am on December 1, 2018

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