Here is the news and weather briefing for Macon County.
GENERAL OUTLOOK
High pressure departs the region today allowing an increase in moisture into Tuesday. An active weather period is on tap for Wednesday into Thursday as storms increase ahead of an approaching cold front.
• Information about today's solar eclipse has been included after the video news segment in today's briefing and also as a separate article at [Macon Media]
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Local Weather
General Forecast Through Wednesday Night
Franklin Area
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 70s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Increasing clouds, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Tuesday
Showers, mainly after 9am. Highs in the mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
Wednesday
A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the upper 60s.
Wednesday Night
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2am. Lows in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Light winds out of the southwest early in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Tonight
Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday
Showers, mainly after 9am. highs in the mid-to-upper 50s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday
Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 60. Chance of rain is 60%.
Wednesday Night
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Lows in the low-to-mid 50s. Windy. Chance of rain is 80%.
Otto and South Central Macon County
Today
Mostly sunny, with highs near 70. Calm winds becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Increasing clouds, with lows in the lower 50s. Winds out of the south around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Tuesday
Showers, mainly after 9am. highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday
A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid 60s.
Wednesday Night
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Lows in the mid 50s. Windy. Chance of rain is 80%.
Nantahala Area
Today
Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Increasing clouds, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south around 5 mph.
Tuesday
Showers, mainly after 8am. highs near 60. Winds out of the south 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 15mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday
Showers likely, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid 60s. Chance of rain is 60%.
Wednesday Night
Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Lows in the mid 50s. Windy. Chance of rain is 80%.
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Hazards
Areas of frost will be possible over the next two or three nights. Sensitive plants left outside could be damaged.
BPollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the high range (10.7 out of 12) today with Oak, Juniper, and Birch being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the high range (10.4 out of 7.1).
Record Weather Events for April 8th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 84°F in Franklin in 1890
Lowest Temperature 16°F in Highlands in 2007
Greatest One-Day Rain 3.30 inches in Highlands in 1914
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 3.0 inches in Highlands in 1989
Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of April Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 91°F in Franklin on 04-26-1986
Lowest Temperature 13°F in Highlands on 04-01-1987
Greatest Rainfall 7.00 inches in Highlands on 04-07-1895 (also a state record)
Greatest Snowfall 9.5 inches in Franklin on 04-04-1987
Record Weather Events for April 8th in North Carolina
rdrd Highest Temperature 94°F in Wilmington, New Hanover County in 1967
Lowest Temperature 1°F in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County in 2007
Greatest Rainfall 6.51 inches in Henderson, Vance County in 1895
Greatest Snowfall 9.1 inches in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County in 1916
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of April Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 102°F in Carthage, Moore County on 04-29-1981
Lowest Temperature 1°F in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 04-08-2007
Greatest Rainfall 7.30 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 04-16-2011
Greatest Snowfall 19.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 04-11-2003
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
Music Lineup for Friends of the Greenway, Inc.
Frog Quarters Music Schedule (located at 573 East Main Street in Franklin)
April 2024 Schedule
4-13-24—Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter Al Scortino takes the corner with his heartfelt and whimsical musical creations along with multi-insturmentalist, Greg “Squeezebox” Thomas. Welcome back, guys!
Mountain Findings
432 Spruce Street (physical)
Highlands, North Carolina 28741
Web: MountainFindings.org
Mountain Findings (a thrift store) is open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm until October 2023.
News Briefing
---STATE AND LOCAL---
2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast from Colorado State University | WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)
Caught on camera: Diabetic man's arrest sparks controversy, questions | WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)
• Look up! Where to watch the solar eclipse in Western North Carolina [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]
• Presidential candidate RFK Jr. gets enough signatures for ballot access in NC, campaign says [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• New HCA independent monitor selected amid mounting safety complaints at Mission Hospital [BPR]
• 'Busting at the seams': JCPS reconsiders partnership with Catamount School [Smoky Mountain News]
• AdventHealth announces hospital location in Weaverville [Mountain Xpress]
• Mental health system failing the homeless [Sylva Herald and Ruralite]
---RECENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS--
Franklin Town Council (Feb 2024) | Macon Media
• NC DPI Awards $62 Million Grant for Construction of a New Franklin High School [Macon Media]
• Macon County Board of Education January 2024 Regular Meeting [Macon Media]
• Macon County Board of Commissioners | January 2024 Regular Meeting | [Macon Media]
• Franklin Town Council (January 2024 Regular Meeting) [Macon Media]
• Macon County Board of Commissioners (Dec 2023) [Macon Media]
• Macon County Board of Education December 2023 Meeting at Franklin High School [Macon Media]
• Franklin Town Council (Dec 2023) [Macon Media]
---NATIONAL---
New Jersey Earthquake Update; The Largest Earthquake in 140 Years | GeologyHub
4.8-magnitude earthwuake rattled nerves, did not cause damage in NYC | WABC-TV (New York City, NY)
Earthquake reports: How big was it, what caused it, NYC's response, and more | WNBC-TV (New York City, NY)
US Intelligence warns of possible threats to large gatherings | ABC News
• Here’s what we know about the earthquake that hit N.J. on Friday [NJ.COM (True Jersey)]
• 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey, aftershocks felt across NYC and Tri-State (autoplaying video) [WABC-TV (New York City, NY)]
• East Coast earthquakes aren’t common. Here’s what to know [PBS NewsHour]
• The Inside Tale of Tesla’s Fall to Earth [Wall Street Journal]
• Biden promises to rebuild Key Bridge [Politico]
• Fed Governor Bowman says additional rate hike could be needed if inflation stays high [CNBC]
---2024 ELECTION ROUNDUP--- xxx | xxx
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International News Headlines
Videos show aftermath of Taiwan earthquake as search and rescue efforts continue | CBS News
Israel must change Gaza war tactics or face consequences, US says | The Times and Sunday Times
• Denmark shuts shipping strait over missile failure [BBC News]
• Ecuador declares Mexico ambassador persona non grata [DW News]
• Africa File, April 4, 2024: Mali and Russia Explore Mali’s Mineral Wealth; Niger Plays the Field; the Kremlin’s Red Sea Ambitions in Eritrea [Institute for the Study of War]
• S. Korea, China, Japan in talks to set date for trilateral summit next month [Yonhap News Agency]
• Israeli embassies around the world put on high alert amid Iranian threats [Jerusalem Post]
• How dubious YouTube ‘news’ channels are shaping India’s election [Al Jazeera]
• NATO allies agree to send more air defense systems to Ukraine [TVP World]
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 4, 2024 [Institute for the Study of War]
---International Conflicts ---
Global Arms Exports - Winners, losers & trends in the race to rearm | Perun
Day 753: Ukraïnian Map | Ukraine News TV
Ukraine Conflict (20240318): Full Frontline Update | ATP Geopolitics
Escalating regional conflict worsens food shortage in South Sudan | Switch TV News
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 21, 2024 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Russo-Ukrainian war, day 756: Ukrainian air defense intercepts all 31 Russian missiles targeting Kyiv [Euromaidan Press]
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Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, April 5, 2024
2024 Campaign Trail: Trump Back on the Stump & a Look at Colorado's U.S. House Races | C-SPAN
Port of Baltimore Update April 7, 2024 | Ship Scrapping Nearly Halts | What's Going on With Shipping?
Annie Jacobsen, "Nuclear War" | C-SPAN
Great American Eclipse | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS
Global National: April 7, 2024 | Israel-Hamas: Netanyahu demands hostage release for Gaza ceasefire
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - April 06, 2024
"CBS Weekend News" Full Broadcast | April 06, 2024
The moon is literally about to steal the spotlight! | Nightly News: Kids Edition
PBS NewsHour full episode, (April 07, 2024)
A total solar eclipse will be crossing the United States this afternoon, but Macon County is not in the path of totality for this one as it was in 2017. The maximum obscuration in Macon County will be in the extreme northwest with 85.483% obscured at 3:07:44pm and the least obscured happening at the extreme southeast corner at Ellicott's Rock with the sun beintg 83.594% covered at 3:08:06pm. Other outlets and government organizations have shared the timings and obsuration data for the area near Statesboro, NC, not Franklin, NC as claimed.
Computer Simulation of Solar Eclipse Path
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The weather forecast for the eclipse is not looking promising. It will most likely be cloudy for most of the afternoon in Macon County and along most of the path of the eclipse, except in Vermont and Maine. There will probably be breaks in the clouds here that will allow quick peeks at the sun here and there.
The next North American partial eclipse happens for Canada and the northeastern U.S. on August 12, 2026. Next, a slight partial eclipse comes to eastern Canada and the eastern U.S. on the morning of January 26, 2028. Then the whole continent will get a partial eclipse on January 14, 2029. The next total solar eclipse that crosses North America won't happen until August 12, 2045. Totality that day will run from northern California across the U.S. to Florida. The next total solar eclipse for Macon County is not until October 17, 2153.
Below are some handy websites for more data about the eclipse, including planned livestreams.
The Solar Eclipse Can BLIND You - How to Watch Solar Eclipse Safely | Doctor Eye Health
The 2024 total solar eclipse | PBS NewsHour
Total Solar Eclipse | April 8, 2024 | Griffith Observatory
Total solar eclipse 2024: Eclipse Across America special from ABC News, National Geographic
Total solar eclipse turns day into night across the U.S. | CBS News
2024 Total Solar Eclipse | NBC News Special Coverage
• The total solar eclipse 2024 is happening today! Here's what you need to know [Space.com]
• How to make a pinhole camera for the 2024 eclipse [Astronomy Magazine]
• Partial: the Solar Eclipse for the Rest of Us [Sky and Telescope Magazine]
---Science, Technology, Culture, and History News Roundup---
• The Sky This Week from April 5 to 12: A Great North American Eclipse [Astronomy Magazine]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, March 29 – April 7 [Sky and Telescope Magazine]
The Level1 Show April 5 2024: You Shall Not Hall Pass | Level1 Techs
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On This Day
April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 267 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
1139 – Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated by Innocent II for supporting Anacletus II as pope for seven years, even though Roger had already publicly recognized Innocent's claim to the papacy.
1149 – Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.
1232 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols begin their siege on Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty.
1271 – In Syria, sultan Baibars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers.
1730 – Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City, is dedicated.
1820 – The Venus de Milo is discovered on the Aegean island of Milos.
1832 – Black Hawk War: Around 300 United States 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri to fight the Sauk Native Americans.
1866 – Italy and Prussia ally against the Austrian Empire.
1886 – William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
1895 – In Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. the Supreme Court of the United States declares unapportioned income tax to be unconstitutional.
1904 – The French Third Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland sign the Entente cordiale.
1906 – Auguste Deter, the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, dies.
1908 – Harvard University votes to establish the Harvard Business School.
1911 – Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovers superconductivity.
1913 – The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, becomes law.
1918 – World War I: Actors Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin sell war bonds on the streets of New York City's financial district.
1924 – Sharia courts are abolished in Turkey, as part of Atatürk's Reforms.
1929 – Indian independence movement: At the Delhi Central Assembly, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw handouts and bombs to court arrest.
1935 – The Works Progress Administration is formed when the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 becomes law.
1940 – The Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party elects Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal as General Secretary, marking the beginning of his 44-year-long tenure as de facto leader of Mongolia.
1942 – World War II: Siege of Leningrad: Soviet forces open a much-needed railway link to Leningrad.
1942 – World War II: The Japanese take Bataan in the Philippines.
1943 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases by common carriers and public utilities.
1943 – Otto and Elise Hampel are executed in Berlin for their anti-Nazi activities.
1945 – World War II: After an air raid accidentally destroys a train carrying about 4,000 Nazi concentration camp internees in Prussian Hanover, the survivors are massacred by Nazis.
1946 – Électricité de France, the world's largest utility company, is formed as a result of the nationalisation of a number of electricity producers, transporters and distributors.
1950 – India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat–Nehru Pact.
1952 – U.S. President Harry Truman calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills in an attempt to prevent the 1952 steel strike.
1953 – Mau Mau leader Jomo Kenyatta is convicted by British Kenya's rulers.
1954 – A Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair Harvard collides with a Trans-Canada Airlines Canadair North Star over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, killing 37 people.
1954 – South African Airways Flight 201 A de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 crashes into the sea during night killing 21 people.
1959 – A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL.
1959 – The Organization of American States drafts an agreement to create the Inter-American Development Bank.
1960 – The Netherlands and West Germany sign an agreement to negotiate the return of German land annexed by the Dutch in return for 280 million German marks as Wiedergutmachung.
1968 – BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after takeoff. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime.
1970 – Bahr El-Baqar primary school bombing: Israeli bombers accidentally strike an Egyptian school. Forty-six children are killed.
1975 – Frank Robinson manages the Cleveland Indians in his first game as major league baseball's first African American manager.
1987 – Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis resigns amid controversy over racist remarks he had made while on Nightline.
1992 – Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.
1993 – The Republic of North Macedonia joins the United Nations.
1993 – The Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on mission STS-56.
2004 – War in Darfur: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government, the Justice and Equality Movement, and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army.
2006 – Shedden massacre: The bodies of eight men, all shot to death, are found in a field in Shedden, Elgin County, Ontario. The murders are soon linked to the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.
2008 – The construction of the world's first skyscraper to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain.
2010 – U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sign the New START Treaty.
2013 – The Islamic State of Iraq enters the Syrian Civil War and begins by declaring a merger with the Al-Nusra Front under the name Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham.
2020 – Bernie Sanders ends his presidential campaign, leaving Joe Biden as the Democratic Party's nominee.
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Support Macon Media
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.
Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia
Published at 5:00am on Monday, April 08, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to rthe 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.
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