Weather Briefing for Tuesday, March 24, 2026 Minor Quake Rattles Macon and Jackson Counties

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• ...INCREASED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

• [Public Safety Notifications]

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NWS GENERAL OUTLOOK

1. Very dry conditions develop on Tuesday, with widespread critical relative humidity in the afternoon. A Fire Danger Statement is in effect for Upstate South Carolina and northeast Georgia.

2. Most likely, no precipitation Wednesday through Thursday night under weak high pressure. Temperatures moderate back above normal by Thursday.

3. Near-record high temperatures Friday ahead of another cold front. The front brings a chance of showers, and below-normal temperatures for much of the area next weekend.

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GENERAL FORECAST

(since this is a quick forecast intended to cover the whole county, bear in mind that higher elevations may experience cooler temperatures than this and the lower elevations may experience higher temperatures than those in the forecast)

..TODAY....Partly sunny this morning, then clearing. Highs in the upper 50s. Southeast winds around 5 mph.

..TONIGHT....Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. Southeast winds around 5 mph.

..WEDNESDAY....Partly sunny in the morning, then becoming mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. South winds around 5 mph.

..WEDNESDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. South winds around 5 mph.

..THURSDAY....Partly sunny in the morning, then becoming mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Southwest winds around 5 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.

..THURSDAY NIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s.

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HAZARDOUS WEATHER



...INCREASED FIRE DANGER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...

Fuels remain quite dry across the region owing to breezy conditions and low relative humidity. Critical relative humidity is expected again today. Winds will be much less breezy on this afternoon than they were Monday; nonetheless, fire weather threat will be elevated by virtue of dry fuels and excessively low relative humidity. Outdoor fires will catch easily under these conditions.

Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities on whether you can burn today. If you do burn, use extreme caution as fires can quickly get out of hand under these conditions.

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NEWS UPDATES
(Links aggregated to show what various news outlets are reporting)

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State and Local News

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Minor Earthquake on Macon-Jackson Border | Macon Media


• M 2.7 - 10 km SW of Dillsboro, North Carolina [USGS]

Second person charged in downtown Asheville shooting | WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)



• Drought, wind and low humidity fuel wildfire risk this week in western NC [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]

• Will a hand recount help Berger? Tight NC Senate race enters new phase [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]

• Democratic and Republican Party officials face internal backlash after primaries [Raleigh News and Observer]

• Asheville may get 226 affordable apartments in Shiloh [Asheville Citizen-Times]

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Other News

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• Voice of America staffers sue, alleging Kari Lake put on propaganda [NPR]

• Unsilencing Voice of America [Columbia Journalism Review]


Supreme Court considers late-arriving mail ballot laws in case that may affect midterms | PBS NewsHour



What the Ship (Ep140) | Hormuz Update | Shadow Fleet | US Shipbuilding | Panama | 5 Years of WGOWS | What's Going on With Shipping?



who is trump talking to? confusion over secret u.s.–Iran negotiations grows | Al Jazeera



• Iran Update Special Report: March 23, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]

• AP News Liveblog [AP News]

• Jerusalem Post Liveblog [Jerusalem Post]

• BBC Liveblog [BBC News]

• Al Jazeera Liveblog [Al Jazeera]

• Fox News Liveblog [Fox News]

Deadly collision on LaGuardia runway, Trump postpones Strait of Hormuz deadline, more | The Takeout | CBS News



Is Trump "making it up as he goes along"? | Sky News



Deadly LaGuardia collision under investigation as President Trump sends ICE agents to airports | NBC News



• Large oil refinery explosion near Texas coast forces residents to shelter in place [AP News]

• 2 pilots killed after Air Canada jet hits fire truck, forcing New York’s LaGuardia airport to close [Fox News]

• Plane Collides With Fire Truck at LaGuardia Airport [Aviation Safety Network]

• The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it [Yahoo News]

• Gold trades flat after early losses deepened bullion bear market [CNBC]

Iran Refutes Trump Talks Claim & Gulf Weighs Joining War: WSJ | Daybreak Europe 3/24/2026 | Bloomberg Television



ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - March 23, 2026 | ABC News



PBS News Hour full episode, March 23, 2026 | PBS NewsHour



Washington Today (3/23/26): Trump Delays Iran Strikes as DHS Shutdown Disrupts Travel | C-SPAN



Trump pauses Iran strikes amid disputed Iran talks | World News Tonight | TVP WORLD



• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 23, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]

• Oil back above $100 as conflicting claims emerge on US-Iran talks [BBC News]

• Iran war takes mounting toll on America’s military [The Hill]

Iran war: Worst and best-case scenario | DW News



• Notice the westward shift of Orion and all the stars [EarthSky]

• Insulin pills may soon replace daily injections [Science Daily ]

• FCC Bans All New Routers Not Made in America [Gizmodo]

• US to pay TotalEnergies $1 billion to stop developing offshore wind in US [Ars Technica]

• Could our universe exist because black holes ate up all the antimatter? [Space.com]

Shocking Discovery That Single Cells and Even Molecules Can Learn and Exhibit Memory | Anton Petrov



Micro Planets: Building Artificial Worlds with Black Hole Cores | Isaac Arthur



• Will MrBeast Push Crypto on Kids? Senator Warren Raises Alarm Over Banking App [Decrypt]

• Balancer Labs shuts down 4 months after $100M+ exploit, protocol to continue [Coin Telegraph]

Gold Drops Nearly 30% | Benjamin Cowen

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Published at 6.00am on Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins







Both are in drydock for maintenance. Comfort is due out in April, Mercy in July. There was an incident a US Navy submariner was airlifted by a Danish Defense Seahawk helicopter, deployed from the Vædderen, a Danish military patrol ship. Maybe he's upset that we required medical assistance from them. That's funny, because the Mercy won't be available until July 2026 and the Comfort won't be available until at least April 2026. 42m Reply Top fan Bobby Coggins There was an incident a US Navy submariner was airlifted by a Danish Defense Seahawk helicopter, deployed from the Vædderen, a Danish military patrol ship. Maybe he's upset that we required medical assistance from them. -->

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Minor M2.4 Quake in Swain County

Image credit: USGS with annotations added by Bobby Coggins for MaconMedia.com 

 A minor M2.4 quake hit Swain County this morning at 8.27am between Bryson City and Fontana Lake. Earthquakes of about this magnitude occur less than ten times a year on average. If you felt this quake, you can help the USGS out by filling out a report form on their website at LINK.  

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Second Minor Earthquake in 48 Hours Strikes Haywood County

According to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), a minor earthquake of 2.4 magnitude struck Haywood County in the Beaverdam Township on Thursday evening just before 6.30pm. It was initially reported as 3.1, but a review by a seismologist resulted in a downgrade of the intensity.

The epicenter was located 40.42 miles to the northeast of the Macon County Courthouse and was 2.11 miles east northeast of the magnitude 2.6 earthquake that struck just before 7.30 pm on Tuesday, the 23rd of May. [LINK] 

 Earthquakes of this magnitude occur perhaps three or four times a typical year within a hundred-mile radius of Macon County.

IMAGE WILL BE ADDED FRIDAY MORNING

As of 8.00pm, 6 people in Haywood County reported to the USGS that they felt it it, and one in Lousville, Kentucky claimed to have felt it. If you felt it, you can fill out a survey on the USGS website [LINK]. The information will assist geologists in studying earthquakes in our region. You have until May 31, 2024, to report your experience. This section will be updated on Friday morning as more people report on this event.



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Published at 8.00pm on Thursday, May 25, 2023 by Bobby Coggins for MaconMedia.com

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Minor Earthquake in Haywood County

According to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), a minor earthquake of 2.6 magnitude struck Haywood County on Tuesday evening just before 7.30pm. The epicenter was located 38.51 miles to the northeast of the Macon County Courthouse. Earthquakes of this magnitude occur perhaps three or four times a typical year within a hundred-mile radius of Macon County.

As of 10.00pm, 124 people reported to the USGS they had felt the quake. If you felt it, you can fill out a survey on the USGS website [LINK]. The information will assist geologists in studying earthquakes in our region. You have until May 31, 2024, to report your experience.

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5.1 Quake Hits Near Sparta, North Carolina Felt by Many Locals

A Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake has struck near Sparta, North Carolina this morning at 8:07am and the shockwave arrived at 8:09am. Many people in the region, including over a dozen people in Macon County have reported feeling the quake.



If you felt this quake, you can report it to the USGS. [LINK] 

It is not quite as big as the one that hit in the region in 2011 in Virginia. It was a 5.8 Magnitude quake. [LINK] This is the third most powerful quake to hit the east coast region since 1944.

Here is the Helicorder reading of the quake as measured at Lake Jocassee in South Carolina.



**9:39am update**
The USGS has warned there may be aftershocks related to this quake. Here is their forecast:

Be ready for more earthquakes

More earthquakes than usual (called aftershocks) will continue to occur near the mainshock.

When there are more earthquakes, the chance of a large earthquake is greater which means that the chance of damage is greater.
The USGS advises everyone to be aware of the possibility of aftershocks, especially when in or around vulnerable structures such as unreinforced masonry buildings.

This earthquake could be part of a sequence. An earthquake sequence may have larger and potentially damaging earthquakes in the future, so remember to: Drop, Cover, and Hold on.

What we think will happen next

According to our forecast, over the next 1 Week there is a 4 % chance of one or more aftershocks that are larger than magnitude 5.1. It is likely that there will be smaller earthquakes over the next 1 Week, with 0 to 57 magnitude 3 or higher aftershocks. Magnitude 3 and above are large enough to be felt near the epicenter. The number of aftershocks will drop off over time, but a large aftershock can increase the numbers again, temporarily.

More details about the earthquake forecast are provided in the section “Our detailed aftershock forecast” below.

About this earthquake and related aftershocks
So far in this sequence there have been 0 magnitude 3 or higher earthquakes, which are strong enough to be felt, and 0 magnitude 5 or higher earthquakes, which are large enough to do damage.

Our detailed aftershock forecast

The USGS estimates the chance of more aftershocks as follows: Within the next 1 Week until 2020-08-16 13:00:00 (UTC):

The chance of an earthquake of magnitude 3 or higher is 57 %, and it is most likely that as few as 0 or as many as 57 such earthquakes may occur in the case that the sequence is re-invigorated by a larger aftershock.
The chance of an earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher is 5 %, and it is most likely that as few as 0 or as many as 2 such earthquakes may occur.
The chance of an earthquake of magnitude 6 or higher is 1 in 200, such an earthquake is possible but with a low probability.
The chance of an earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher is 1 in 2,000, such an earthquake is possible but with a low probability.

About our earthquake forecasts

No one can predict the exact time or place of any earthquake, including aftershocks. Our earthquake forecasts give us an understanding of the chances of having more earthquakes within a given time period in the affected area. We calculate this earthquake forecast using a statistical analysis based on past earthquakes.

Our forecast changes as time passes due to decline in the frequency of aftershocks, larger aftershocks that may trigger further earthquakes, and changes in forecast modeling based on the data collected for this earthquake sequence.




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Published at 9:27am on Sunday, August 9, 2020
Edited at 9:39am to include forecast. 
Other minor grammatical errors in the initial article have been edited.

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Minor Quake in Eastern Tennessee

A minor earthquake has struck about 77 miles to the west of Franklin at 1:22pm near Calhoun, TN. It has been preliminarily rated as a Magnitude 2.9.

The image above shows the location of the quake in relation to Franklin. If you felt the quake, you can fill out a form for the USGS at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60322496/tellus

Quakes of this magnitude usually occur a few times a year in that area.


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Tectonic Summary of the region from the USGS


Earthquakes in the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone

The Eastern Tennessee seismic zone extends across Tennessee and northwestern Georgia into northeastern Alabama. It is one of the most active earthquake areas in the Southeast. Although the zone is not known to have had a large earthquake, a few earthquakes in the zone have caused slight damage. The largest known (magnitude 4.6) occurred on April 29, 2003, near Fort Payne, Alabama. Earthquakes too small to cause damage are felt about once a year. Earthquakes too small to be felt are abundant in the seismic zone, and seismographs have recorded hundreds of them in recent decades.

Earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S., although less frequent than in the western U.S., are typically felt over a much broader region. East of the Rockies, an earthquake can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast. A magnitude 4.0 eastern U.S. earthquake typically can be felt at many places as far as 100 km (60 mi) from where it occurred, and it infrequently causes damage near its source. A magnitude 5.5 eastern U.S. earthquake usually can be felt as far as 500 km (300 mi) from where it occurred, and sometimes causes damage as far away as 40 km (25 mi).

Faults

Earthquakes everywhere occur on faults within bedrock, usually miles deep. Most of eastern Tennessee's bedrock originated several hundred million years ago, as the Appalachian Mountains were formed.

At well-studied plate boundaries like the San Andreas fault system in California, often scientists can determine the name of the specific fault that is responsible for an earthquake. In contrast, east of the Rocky Mountains this is rarely the case. The Eastern Tennessee seismic zone is far from the nearest plate boundaries, which are in the center of the Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea. The Eastern Tennessee seismic zone is laced with known faults but numerous smaller or deeply buried faults remain undetected. Even the known faults are poorly located at earthquake depths. Accordingly, few, if any, earthquakes in the Eastern Tennessee seismic zone can be linked to named faults. It is difficult to determine if a known fault is still active and could slip and cause an earthquake. As in most other areas east of the Rockies, the best guide to earthquake hazards in the seismic zone is the earthquakes themselves.




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Published at 1:57pm on Monday, July 27, 2020

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Minor Quake in Fincastle Felt in Franklin

There was a minor earthquake this afternoon at 2:12pm and was centered 94.4 miles northwest of Franklin. The quake occurred just outside Fincastle, TN and the epicenter was located a little over 20 miles deep in the earth. Some local residents felt the quake and took to social media with their reports.

The quake was a magnitude 3.8. If you felt it, fill out this form on the USGS website [LINK]

The map above shows the location of the quake in relation to Franklin and the chart below is a display of the helicorder located in Lake Jocassee, South Carolina.



Published at 3:45pm on Monday, January 20, 2020

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Daily Weather Briefing for Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Minor Quake Shakes Macon and Jackson Counties




A minor tremor occurred just after 12:30pm yesterday afternoon near the Macon and Jackson County line and was felt by many in both counties, many of them taking to social media to discuss the event.



The initial report from the USGS assigned a 2.5 magnitude to the tremor and a depth of 300 meters from the surface, ±1,700 meters (about a mile), then it was revised upwards to magnitude 2.6 and assigned a depth of 800 meters (about 2600 feet). The epicenter lies below the surface on a mountain slope above Betty's Creek in Jackson County. A second epicenter assigned to the tremor from distant seismic stations assigns a depth of 5 km (about 3.5 miles) somewhere below the head of Ruby Mine Road on the Macon County side of the ridge. More information can be found in an article posted just after the tremor struck. [LINK]


Outlook

Cool high pressure will settle over the region today. The high will shift northeast on Thursday, allowing a gradual warming trend through the end of the work week. The next cold front is expected to push into the area late this weekend.


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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Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:
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Weather Hazards

Hazardous weather is not expected today.

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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.

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.

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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

Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm winds.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around freezing. Calm winds.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high in the mid-60s. Light and variable winds.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low in the upper 30s. Calm winds.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high in the upper 60s.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low in the mid-40s.

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OTTO AREA FORECAST

Today

Sunny, with a high near 60. Light winds out of the east.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around freezing. Light winds out of the southeast.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 65. Light and variable winds.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Light winds out of the southwest.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high in the mid-to-upper 60s.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low in the mid-40s.

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HIGHLANDS PLATEAU FORECAST

Today

Sunny, with a high near 50. Winds out of the northeast 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around freezing. Winds out of the south around 6 mph becoming light and variable before midnight.

Thursday
in the mid-50snear 56. Calm winds in the morning rising to come out of the south around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low in the upper 30s. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph.

Friday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.

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NANTAHALA AREA FORECAST

Today

Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Calm winds.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around freezing. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 5 mph.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high in the low-to-mid 60s. Calm winds in the morning, then rising to come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Winds out of the south 3 to 5 mph.

Friday

Partly sunny, with a high in the low-to-mid 60s.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low in the mid-40s.

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Macon County Almanac for March 27, 2019

Highest Temperature 79°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2007
Lowest Temperature 4°F in Highlands in 1894
Greatest Rainfall 3.34 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1948
Greatest Snowfall 4.8 inches in Highlands in 1999


Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of March
Data available from 1873 to 2018

Highest Temperature 86°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 03-15-1967
Lowest Temperature -7°F in Highlands on 03-07-1899
Greatest Rainfall 6.43 inches in Highlands on 03-29-1898
Greatest Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 03-13-1993

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Published at 4:10am on March 27, 2019

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Magnitude 4.4 Quake Outside Decatur, TN Felt in Franklin

An earthquake centered northeast of Decatur, Tennessee was felt by Macon County residents around 4:16 am this morning. Preliminary reports put the quake at a 4.4 magnitude. More information will be added to this article as information comes in. The above image is a map showing where the quake occurred in relation to Macon County and the image below shows a seismometer reading from Lake Jocassee, South Carolina. Updates to this post are being added below. Scroll down to see them.

You can submit an online report of your experience to help the USGS study earthquakes at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/se60247871/tellus





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Their phone number is 371-4718.
*******************

**4:45 am** 

Here is a map showing the people who reported feeling the quake to the USGS. Each black dot represents a report.



**5:00am**

Ther was a 3.3 aftershock to the original 4.4. Usually, our quakes are not powerful enough to have aftershocks.

M 3.3 - 11km NNE of Decatur, Tennessee
2018-12-12 09:27:08 (UTC)35.612°N 84.750°W6.8 km depth

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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 4:35 am on December 12, 2018

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Daily Weather Briefing for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

LOCAL OUTLOOK

A series of very cold and dry Arctic high-pressure systems will be the primary weather feature across the region over the coming week. However, a slight chance of light wintry precipitation is possible across the entire region Sunday night into Monday.

LOCAL NEWS



There was a small tremor of 2.6 Magnitude reported yesterday in Graham County near Robbinsville at 12:15 pm. The epicenter was a little over 5 miles deep. 146 people reported to the USGS they felt the tremor, with 84 of those living in Graham County. The map included with this segment shows the locations in western North Carolina where it was reported. The USGS received reports that it was felt as far away as the middle of Kentucky, the Midlands of South Carolina and in Charlotte and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Earthquakes of this size typically occur 10 to 15 times a year within a hundred mile radius of Macon County. [Click on the image to enlarge]

See the Macon Media post that was published shortly after the tremor. [LINK]

WEATHER SPONSOR

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Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:

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

Weather Almanac for December 27th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 75°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2015
Lowest Temperature 0°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1983
Greatest Rainfall 2.17 inches in Nantahala in 1973
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 2.4 inches in Highlands in 1997




Record weather events for December in Macon County

Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on Dec 31, 1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on Dec 30, 1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands on Dec 14, 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on Dec 21, 1876




THREE DAY OUTLOOK



TODAY

Mostly sunny with temperatures starting out ranging from the upper teens in the higher elevations and the lower 20s in the lower elevations and highs ranging from the lower 30s in the higher elevations to the upper 30s in the lower elevations. Winds 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest will keep it feeling a few degrees colder.

TONIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows ranging from the upper teens in the higher elevations to the lower 20s in the lower elevations. Winds 5 to 10 mph out of the northwest before 10 pm, then light winds from the southeast afterward.


THURSDAY

Mostly Sunny in the morning with increasing clouds. Highs ranging from the upper 20s in the higher elevations to the mid-30s in the lower elevations. Winds from the south.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Partly to mostly cloudy with lows ranging from the upper teens in the higher elevations to the lower 20s in the lower elevations. Winds from the south before midnight, then from the south after midnight.



FRIDAY

Mostly sunny with highs ranging from the lower 30s to the upper 30s, with lower temperatures in the higher elevations.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows ranging from the upper teens to the lower 20s with warmer temperatures at the lower elevations.

HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not expected today. The winter weather events in the forecast for this weekend are looking increasingly unlikely for us in Macon County.

The National Weather Service has removed their Hazardous Weather Outlook for Thursday and Friday and toned down their expectations for the Sunday-Monday event. It looks like it will be drier than they thought.

Macon Media maintains a Severe Weather Preparedness Page at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/p/breaking-news-hub.html for those who are interested.

As always, you can check to see what advisories, watches, and warnings are in effect for Macon County by visiting http://is.gd/MACONWARN



GOES-16 ABI CONUS - 11.20 um (Rainfall)
Image Produced at 02:12 am



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The First Methodist Church Outreach Center
at the intersection of Harrison Ave. and West Main Street
(directly across from Lazy Hiker Brewery)

Come join our weekly support group for anyone suffering from mental illness and their family or friends. This includes Depression, Bipolar,8chizophrenia, PTSD, Substance Abuse, Etc.

Here you will find:
— others living with mental health challenges YOU ARE NOT ALONE
- learn coping skills and ?find hope in shared experience
- help learning how to break down stigma and guilt surrounding mental health
- how to live life with the expectation of a better a better future

Kay (706)970-9987 Denise (828)347-5000)

SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

On January 1, 2017, the Syringe Exchange Program of Franklin began operating a comprehensive harm reduction program to address the opioid epidemic that is impacting western NC. Opioid overdose reversal kits including naloxone are available free of charge. If you have any questions about our services or if you know someone interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Almeida at 828-475-1920.



Sun and Moon


Sun

Begin civil twilight 7:13 a.m.
Sunrise 7:41 a.m.
Sun transit 12:35 p.m.
Sunset 5:29 p.m.
End civil twilight 5:57 p.m.


Moon

Moonset 1:23 a.m.
Moonrise 1:29 p.m.
Moon transit 7:53 p.m.
Moonset 2:26 a.m. tomorrow morning


Phase of the Moon on December 27, 2017: Waxing Gibbous with 64% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Closest Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter on December 26, 2017 at 4:20 a.m. (local standard time)


Sky Guides for this week



Sky and Telescope Magazine 
Astronomy Magazine


Earth Sky has an article on the eclipses of 2017. [LINK]

Heavens Above has an Android App that will assist you in observing the sky and even has a satellite tracker that will let you know when the International Space Station and dozens of other satellites are overhead. [LINK]

Stellarium is also an app that will assist you in observing the sky. It is available in both Android [LINK] and iOS versions. [LINK]

CROWD FUNDING 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.

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. You have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia



Posted at 3:09 am on December 27, 2017

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety

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, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, and the Weather Prediction Center. 

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Two Minor Quakes Shake Near WNC Today

Two minor earthquakes have struck with a 60 mile radius of Franklin, NC. The one to the west of us was a 2.6 and the one to the east of us was a 2.5. Quakes of this magnitude range usually strike within this area at least 12 to 20 times a year.

Please follow the links to the event pages for more information:

Buncombe County, NC Quake

Monroe County, TN Quake

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