News Brief
Jackson County Schools for Monday, February 25th, 2019 are on a delayed schedule. The Smoky Mountain District is delayed for two hours and the Blue Ridge District is delayed for 2.5 hours.
A prolonged period of multiple rain events led to minor flooding in Macon County and a wind event exacerbated the situation, causing multiple trees to fall, some of them on power lines, knocking out power to hundreds of Maconians and tens of thousands across the mountains this past weekend.
There were numerous slides and trees down in Jackson County over the weekend and at least two of the blocked portion of US-74, one near Thomas Cove Road and another on Balsam Mountain. Another slide in Haywood County has resulted in I-40 being closed for a couple of weeks while debris is removed. There were several smaller slides and weather-related incidents that briefly closed some roads in Macon County. [LINK]
Outlook
Dry Canadian high pressure will continue to spread over the region today and linger through Tuesday. Deeper moisture will return on Wednesday and linger into the weekend. Another vigorous cold front may approach the forecast area from the west during the latter part of the weekend.
DAY SPONSOR
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Their phone number is 371-4718.
They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.
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
Macon County will be under a Wind Advisory until daybreak. Winds in the higher elevations and the Highlands Plateau may take until midmorning to die down. A Flood Advisory is also in effect until 10:15 am along the Little Tennessee River in Otto near Riverside Road. Water levels along the stretch of the Little Tennessee in Macon County will continue to decrease over the next several days. Copies of the Flood and Wind Advisories are posted below for your convenience.
Flood Advisory
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
1018 PM EST SUN FEB 24 2019
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a
* Flood Advisory for...
South central Macon County in western North Carolina...
* Until 1015 AM EST Monday.
* At 1013 PM EST, the stream gauge on the Little Tennessee River at Otto indicated the river remained near bankfull. Although stream levels will remain high, it is not expected to return to flood stage and should gradually recede over the next several hours.
* Some locations that will experience flooding include...
Otto.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Only when it is safe to do so, please report floodwaters or landslides flowing over roads or threatening property to the National Weather Service by calling toll-free, 1, 800, 2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, by posting on our Facebook page, or via Twitter using hashtag NWSGSP. Your message should describe the event and the specific location where it occurred, including roadways, nearby cross streets, stream names, and other landmarks.
Wind Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
234 AM EST Mon Feb 25 2019
...VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THIS MORNING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
.Gusty northwest winds will continue across the North Carolina mountains this morning before slowly diminishing through the remainder of the day. The saturated soil conditions may contribute to some trees getting toppled by the strong winds.
...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING...
* LOCATIONS...The central and southern mountains of western North Carolina.
* HAZARDS...Very windy conditions.
* TIMING...Through daybreak.
* WINDS...Northwest 15 to 25 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph at times, especially along the higher ridges.
* IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A Wind Advisory means that winds of 35 mph are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.
Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or your favorite source of weather information for the latest updates. Additional details can be found at www.weather.gov/gsp.
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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
Sunny, with a high near 55. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Calm winds.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm winds in the morning, then out of the southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Light winds out of the south.
Wednesday
A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 60.
Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
OTTO AREA FORECAST
Today [Flood Advisory Until 10:15am]
Sunny, with a high in the mid-to-upper 50s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around freezing. Calm winds.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm winds in the morning, then winds from the southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Winds out of the south around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Wednesday
A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high in the upper 50s.
Wednesday Night
A chance of showers before 8pm, then a chance of showers after 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
HIGHLANDS PLATEAU FORECAST
Today
Sunny, with a high near 50. Winds out of the northwest 15 to 25 mph in the morning then decreasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph before midmorning.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around freezing. Calm winds rising to come out of the southwest around 6 mph after midnight.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high in the lower 50s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low in the upper 30s. Winds out of the southwest around 6 mph.
Wednesday
A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 50.
Wednesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low in the lower 40s.
NANTAHALA AREA FORECAST
Today
Sunny, with a high near 50. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 30. Calm winds rising to come out of the south around 5 mph after midnight.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 55. Winds out of the southwest around 6 mph.
Tuesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Winds out of the south 3 to 5 mph.
Wednesday
A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55.
Wednesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Macon County Almanac for February 25, 2019
Highest Temperature 77°F in Highlands in 1930
Lowest Temperature -5°F in Highlands in 1967
Greatest Rainfall 6.20 inches in Franklin in 1875
Greatest Snowfall 8.0 inches in Highlands in 1894
Weather Extremes for Macon County for February
Data available from 1873 to 2018
Highest Temperature 79°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 02-28-1996
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on 02-13-1899
Greatest Rainfall 6.37 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 02-13-1966
Greatest Snowfall 15.0 inches in Highlands on 02-14-1912
Weather Extremes for Macon County for February
Data available from 1873 to 2018
Highest Temperature 79°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 02-28-1996
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on 02-13-1899
Greatest Rainfall 6.37 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 02-13-1966
Greatest Snowfall 15.0 inches in Highlands on 02-14-1912
Published at 3:50 am on February 25, 2019
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