Daily Weather Briefing for Friday, May 19, 2017

LOCAL OUTLOOK

The summertime weather pattern initiated by the Bermuda High will continue through Saturday. A front will move in from the west on Sunday and Sunday night, bringing an excellent chance of rain. A cold front should move east across the region on Monday. Unsettled weather will become the rule for next week as several disturbances move through.

LOCAL NEWS

The Macon County Planning Board held their monthly meeting last night. The video is on the blog. [LINK]

Weather Almanac for May 19th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 91°F in Franklin in 1962
Lowest Temperature 29°F in Highlands in 1894
Greatest Rainfall 2.81 inches in Highlands in 1983
Greatest Snowfall There has been no measurable snowfall recorded in Macon County on this date since 1872 when weather record-keeping started.

THREE DAY OUTLOOK

TODAY

Patchy fog in the morning. Partly sunny with highs in the 80s. Calm winds in the morning then winds will be out of the south in the afternoon. 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

TONIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near 60 and calm winds. Rain chances should end before midnight.

SATURDAY

Mostly sunny with highs in the 80s. Calm winds in the morning, the winds from the south in the afternoon. 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly starting in the late afternoon.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near 60 and light winds out of the southeast. 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

SUNDAY

Cloudy with highs in the mid to upper-70s.60% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Cloudy with lows near 60. 80% chance of showers.

HAZARDS

Standard pop-up showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop today, with chances diminishing after dark.

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 in pdf format or a high-quality photo, to [email protected]
There is no charge for civic, educational or non-profit groups, except for groups or events that receive funding from the TDA, TDC and EDC, where full rates apply.

Tuesday, May 23 at 4pm, Macon County Public Library

Facebook Privacy Settings

Level: Advanced Beginner.
Registration is required as space is limited. To register for this class, please visit the Reference Desk or call 524-3600.

Learn who can see your posts and how to control your privacy settings on Facebook. This class is for people who already have a Facebook account and want to have a better understanding of their privacy options. Participants will learn, 1. where to find their overall privacy settings and how to adjust them, 2. where to find the privacy settings for individual posts and how to adjust them. We will discuss what happens when you post things publicly, versus just for your friends, versus on other people’s timelines. You will also learn how to deactivate your account (in case you ever want to take a break from Facebook), how to reactivate it, and how to close your account permanently. Participants will also learn where to find additional resources on Facebook privacy topics so that they can continue to be informed about their privacy choices in the ever-changing landscape of social media.

Wednesday, May 24th, 7:00 p.m. in the Macon County Public Library

Musical performance “Livin’ the Dream”

WCU Roadworks is an outreach program sponsored by the College of Fine and Performing Arts that presents free theatrical, music, film and visual arts events to organizations and communities throughout the region. The School of Music was chosen to present the program this year, utilizing the performing ensemble The Catamount Singers and Electric Soul. This group consists of four of the best singers from the School of Music.

Together, they have prepared a show entitled: “Livin’ the Dream.” The show consists of energetic modern pop tunes, Jazz standards, and classic rock and funk, all complete with impressive choreography. It will feature each of the singers, along with brief narrations about the School of Music and the arts at WCU.

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.

Astronomy

Twilight Begins: 5:58 am
Sunrise: 6:27 am
Sunset 8:34 pm
Twilight Ends: 9:02 pm

Moon Phase: Waning Crescent with 43% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated.
Moonrise 2:32 a.m.
Moonset 1:54 p.m.

Evening Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 10:30 pm tonight

Morning Events and Planets

Chart shows sky at 4 am tomorrow morning

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 [email protected] 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 4:40 am on May 19, 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.