NATIONAL OUTLOOK
...Heavy snow possible for portions of the Tetons, Wind River Mountains, Absarokas, and Bitterroots...
...Heavy rain possible for Northwest Coast, including Northern California, Washington, and Oregon...
...Snow possible for the Great Lakes region through Sunday, then transitioning to New England to close out the weekend...
An upper-level low over the Eastern Pacific will continue to slowly weaken and move onshore over the Pacific Northwest. A plume of moisture will stream into California and across much of the Northwest through the weekend and into the first part of next week, resulting in rain along the coast, and a wintry mix of rain and snow along the higher terrain further inland. The Rocky Mountains and ranges from Idaho to northwest Wyoming can expect mainly snow, possibly heavy at times, over the next few days.
A secondary low will travel eastward across the northern plains today. As it approaches the Upper Great Lakes, there will be a good potential for snow across this area starting this afternoon and continuing overnight. Snow, possibly with a mix of rain and freezing rain, is forecast for the central and northern portions of the Appalachians by early Sunday morning. The low pressure system will continue to travel eastward, with snow expected to spread into upper New England Sunday and Sunday night.
For the rest of the U.S., high pressure will remain in control today. Strong southerly flow on the backside of the high pressure may bring moisture and rain chances across states bordering the Gulf Coast, starting with Texas today, and then transitioning eastward through the rest of the weekend as high pressure begins to exit off the Atlantic coast.
LOCAL NEWS
The Prayers Against Drugs rally took place last night. In case you weren't there, check it out on the blog. [LINK]
The Macon County Commissioners held their first meeting in the 2017-2018 budget cycle on Friday afternoon. Video of that meeting will be posted Monday.
LOCAL OVERVIEW
After a seasonably cool weekend, temperatures are expected to warm back above normal by early next week as a southerly flow of air returns in advance of a moist cold front. This front is expected to reach Macon County by early Wednesday with cooler high pressure spreading back over the region to end the week.
THREE DAY OUTLOOK
Saturday
Sunny with highs near the mid 40s and calm winds rising to come from the southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon hours.
Saturday Night
Increasing clouds with lows near the upper 20s and winds out of the southeast calming before midnight.
Sunday
Freezing rain possible between 5 am and 8 am. Decreasing clouds to become partly sunny with highs near the upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning rising to come out of the northwest in the afternoon hours. 30% chance of precipitation, with freezing rain possible before 8 am, then all rain. Rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch expected.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy with lows near freezing and light winds out of the northwest.
Monday
Mostly sunny with increasing clouds and highs near the lower 60s. 30% chance of rain, mainly after 4 pm.
Monday Night
Mostly cloudy with lows near the mod 40s. 50% chance of rain.
HAZARDS
No hazardous weather is expected. Freezing rain is expected to fall in the morning before 8 am. Roads may briefly become slippery. If you plan on being on the roads during this time period, please be careful and consider giving our scanner feed at MaconScan.com a short listen to see if area fire departments and law enforcement are responding to any accidents before you venture out.
As always, you can check to see what advisories, watches and warnings are in effect for Macon County by visiting http://is.gd/MACONWARN
MACON CALENDAR
If you have an event you wish to be added to this calendar, please send the information, along with a flyer of photo, to editor@maconmedia.com
There is no charge for civic, educational or non profit groups.
Adult Planetarium Programs at the Library
Shows at 2 pm and 6 pm on Thursday, February 9th
For more information, visit the blog at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/adult-planetarium-programs-at-library.html
MARDI GRAS DINNER TO BENEFIT REACH OF MACON COUNTY
A Mardi Gras Dinner to benefit REACH of Macon County will be held at Root + Barrel Kitchen on Main Street on Tuesday, February 28th at 6:30 pm.
Reserved tickets are $75 and open seating is $60.
More information is on the flyer posted here.
Weather Extremes Almanac for February 4, 2017
North Carolina
High Temperature 85ºF in Elizabethtown, Bladen County in 1989
Low Temperature -14ºF on Grandfather Mountain, Avery County in 1970
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 4.12 inches in Idlewild, Ashe County in 1970
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 8.0 inches on Grandfather Mountain, Avery County in 1998
Macon County
High Temperature 73ºF at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2003
Low Temperature -3ºF in Highlands in 1912
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.26 inches in Nantahala in 1936
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 1.8 inches in Highlands in 1996
Astronomy
Twilight Begins: 7:04 am
Sunrise: 7:30 am
Sunset 6:05 pm
Twilight Ends: 6:32 pm
Day Length: 11 hours 28 minutes
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous with 56% of the visible disk illuminated at 11:19 pm
Moonset 1:11 am
Moonrise 12:24 pm
Moonset 2:17 am tomorrow
Observing the Skies
Evening Events and Planets
Venus and Mars are the bright evening planets.
VENUS
Rises 9:25 am
Sets 9:38 pm
Brightness -4.4 Magnitude
Distance 0.514 AU
Constellation: Pisces
MARS
Rises 9:481 am
Sets 9:58 pm
Brightness 1.1 Magnitude
Distance: 1.874 AU
Constellation: Pisces
Morning Events and Planets
MERCURY
Rises 6:31 am
Sets 4:20 pm
Brightness 0.0 Magnitude
Distance 1.247 AU
Constellation: Sagittarius
SATURN
Rises 4:18 am
Sets 2:04 pm
Brightness 1.4 Magnitude
Distance: 10.640 AU
Constellation: Ophiuchus
JUPITER
Rises 11:20 pm
Sets 10: 10:39 am
Brightness -2.0 Magnitude
Distance: 4.966 AU
Constellation: Virgo
Sky Guides for this week (Jan 27- Feb 4)
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.
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
Published at 5:15 am on Feb 4, 2017
#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety
Be kind to one another.
Data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, 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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