Daily Weather Briefing for Wednesday, February 22, 2017

…Many daily temperature records may be broken from the Great Plains into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic region due to anomalous warmth…

…Heavy snow is possible across the Wasatch and into the Central Rockies…

…Increasingly wet conditions likely for the state of Florida…

A robust upper-level low and associated surface frontal system, tracking across the eastern Gulf of Mexico and southern Florida, will keep showers and thunderstorms in the forecast for portions of the Southeast through Thursday. Much of the state of Florida could see accumulations around 1 inch– isolated higher amounts will be possible.

Over the next few days a broad upper-level trough will be in place over the West which will keep a cooler, more moist airmass over the region. A cold front exiting out of the Rockies and into the High Plains and Upper Midwest today will continue on its way through the central U.S. By Thursday the sprawling boundary will span from the Desert Southwest to the Great Lakes/Northeast. Widespread precipitation is forecast from the continental divide eastward to the Great Lakes/Ohio valley through early Saturday morning. The better chance for snowfall accumulations will be from the Wasatch eastward into the Central Rockies where amounts of up to 12 to 18 inches are possible in the highest elevations. Amounts in the adjacent High Plains are forecast to be 4 to 8 inches. Winter Storm Watches are in effect from Wyoming to Wisconsin. Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for portions of Utah, Idaho and Montana.

Additionally, strong gusty winds will accompany this system as it crosses into the Plains. The influx of drier air will increase the threat for wildfires. Red flag warnings are in effect for eastern New Mexico and Colorado. Currently the Southern/Central High Plains are at a critical risk for such activity based on the latest Storm Prediction Center fire weather outlook.

Mild temperatures are forecast to continue through the end of week. Forecast temperatures from the center of the country eastward into the Upper Great Lakes/Middle Mississippi Valley are approximately 20 to 30 degrees above average. Consequently, many daily temperature records may be reached or exceeded across the region.

LOCAL OVERVIEW

A weak frontal boundary passes east of our area today. This will be followed by brief drying on Thursday before a more significant cold front brings additional chances for rain and thunderstorms late Friday or Saturday. Overall, daytime temperatures will remain well above normal through the weekend.

THREE DAY OUTLOOK

Wednesday

Patchy dense fog before 10 am. Cloudy with highs near the low to mid 60s and light winds out of the southeast. 60% chance of very light rain with less than a tenth of an inch expected.

Wednesday Night

Patchy dense fog before midnight. Mostly cloudy with lows near the mid to upper 40s and calm winds.

Thursday

Mostly cloudy with highs near 70 and light winds out of the southeast.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy with lows near the upper 40s and light winds out of the southeast.

Friday

Mostly cloudy with highs near 70.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy with lows near 50. 60% chance of rain with thunderstorms possible before daybreak.

HAZARDS

No hazardous weather expected today.

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 or photo, to [email protected]
There is no charge for civic, educational or non profit groups.

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.

Be the Voice for a Child! Don’t let another child’s voice go unheard. The Guardian Ad Litem program is currently seeking volunteers in your community to be the voice of a foster child in court. The North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program thrives on volunteerism, and its vital work is only made possible by dedicated volunteers who are committed to the cause of keeping children safe from future harm. We will have a training class for volunteers in Sylva starting March 16, 2017. We would love to have you join us. It’s not too late to apply!
If you have an interest in becoming the voice for a child, contact Joe Allen at the Macon County GAL office at 828-349-7222 or Shannon Cowan at the Jackson County GAL Office at 828-587-2087. You can also find out more about the program by visiting www.ncgal.org or www.facebook.com/ncGuardianAdLitem

Weather Extremes Almanac for February 22, 2017

North Carolina

High Temperature 83ºF in Maysville, Onslow County in 1993
Low Temperature -14ºF on Grandfather Mountain, Avery County in 1963
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.90 inches in Enfield, Halifax County in 1954
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 8.0 inches in Kinston, New Bern County in 1936

Macon County

High Temperature 73ºF at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1986
Low Temperature -2ºF at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1963
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 2.88 inches in Highlands in 1974
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 5.0 inches in Nantahala in 1960

Astronomy

Twilight Begins: 6:46 am
Sunrise: 7:11 am
Sunset 6:23 pm
Twilight Ends: 6:49 pm
Day Length: 11 hours 48 minutes
Sunrise to Sunset: 12 hours 03 minutes

Moon Phase: Waning Crescent with 16% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated
Moonrise 4:16 am
Moonset 2:46 pm

Observing the Skies

Evening Events and Planets