wx20170619

LOCAL OUTLOOK

A strong cold front will bring increased chances for storms today. Warm and moist air will continue to dominate our local weather pattern through the first half of the week, then a brief drying trend will take place in the middle of the week, followed by more chances for showers and thunderstorms toward the end of the week.

DAY SPONSOR

Carrion Tree Service is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for today. they are a fully licensed and insured tree service, specializing in dangerous tree removal, view clearing, pruning, and crane services with a 24 Hour emergency response.

Their phone number is 371-4718. They are located at 120 Depot Street.

They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.

WEATHER SPONSOR

Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for the month.  They have all your masonry products (block, mortars, tools), plus feature Belgrade Pavers and Sakrete Products.  Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC.  

Visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

Their phone number is 828.524.8545, all are welcome, let them help you with your next project.  

Weather Almanac for June 19th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 94°F in Highlands in 1933
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1965
Greatest Rainfall 2.08 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1957

THREE DAY OUTLOOK

TODAY Strong Storms and Heavy Rain Possible

Patchy fog in the morning. Cloudy with highs near 80 and winds 5 to 10 mph from the southwest. 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch expected. Strong storms and torrential downpours are likely, mainly between noon and 8 pm.

TONIGHT

Patchy fog after midnight. Cloudy with lows in the lower 60s. Winds from the southwest calming after midnight. 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with the heavy rain expected to be over before 2 am. Light showers will likely persist afterward.

TUESDAY

Partly sunny with highs in the low-80s and calm winds. 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch possible.

TUESDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows near 60 and calm winds. 30% chance of rain, mainly before 9 pm.

WEDNESDAY

Mostly sunny with highs in the low-80s. Slight chance of showers, mainly before 2 pm.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy with lows in the low to mid-60s.

HAZARDS

A cold front is expected to bring increased chances for showers and thunderstorms, mainly between noon and 10 pm tonight. Some of these storms could be severe with damaging winds, frequent lightning, and hail. There is also heavy rain expected with these storms and the National Weather Service has forecast these storms will bring flooding rains to the region. A Hazardous Weather Outlook from the National Weather Service is posted below.

NWS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK

…TODAY…Severe weather with flash flooding possible. A cold front will move into the region from the northwest on Monday and slowly cross the region Monday night. Strong to severe thunderstorms with quarter-size hail and brief, damaging winds will be possible during the afternoon and evening hours. Very heavy rainfall will be possible with the thunderstorms as well, and isolated flash flooding may develop in areas repeatedly affected by thunderstorms.

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

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

A tropical wave has developed off the west coast of Africa that has a small The tropics are now active with one Potential Tropical Cyclone being tracked by the National Hurricane Center. This storm has the potential to become a Tropical Depression by sometime in the middle of the week. More information is included in a Tropical Outlook issued by the National Hurricane Center that has been included below for those who want more information.

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Mon Jun 19 2017

For the North Atlantic…Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Two, located several hundred miles east-southeast of the southern Windward Islands.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…90 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent.

1. A broad area of low pressure located near the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula continues to produce a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms along with winds to gale force several hundred miles to the east and northeast of the estimated center. The low continues to lack a well-defined center of circulation. However, gradual development of this system is expected when it moves over the southern or central Gulf of Mexico later today and Tuesday, where a tropical or subtropical cyclone is likely to form. Regardless of development, heavy rains are expected to continue over portions of Central America, the Yucatan Peninsula, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and western Cuba during the next few days. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate this system later today, if necessary. For more information on this system, please see the High Seas Forecast issued by the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…80 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent.

POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE TWO

BULLETIN
Potential Tropical Cyclone Two Intermediate Advisory Number 2A
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL022017
200 AM AST Mon Jun 19 2017

…TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO REACH THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS BY TONIGHT…

SUMMARY OF 200 AM AST…0600 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…8.3N 53.5W
ABOUT 550 MI…885 KM ESE OF TRINIDAD
ABOUT 615 MI…990 KM ESE OF GRENADA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…40 MPH…65 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 280 DEGREES AT 23 MPH…37 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1005 MB…29.68 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

None.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Barbados
* St. Vincent and the Grenadines
* Trinidad
* Tobago
* Grenada

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
At 200 AM AST (0600 UTC), the disturbance was centered near latitude 8.3 North, longitude 53.5 West. The system is moving toward the west near 23 mph (37 km/h). A fast motion toward the west-northwest is expected over the next 48 hours. On the forecast track, the disturbance is expected to move through the Windward Islands tonight and Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours, and the disturbance is forecast to be a tropical storm when it moves through the Windward Islands tonight and Tuesday.

Thunderstorm activity associated with the disturbance continues to show signs of organization, and additional development is likely during the next day or two.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…90 percent
* Formation chance through 5 days…high…90 percent

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km), mainly northwest through northeast of the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb (29.68 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
———————-
WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach portions of the warning area late tonight, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous.

RAINFALL: The disturbance is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches over the Windward Islands Monday night and Tuesday.

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.

Monday, June 19

Franklin Bird Club meeting at 7 pm in the Macon County Public Library.

The program will feature “Birding in Belize” by Barbara McRae and Bob Gilbert.

National Alliance on Mental Illness
Appalachian South

Meets each Thursday at 7pm
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.

Astronomy

Twilight Begins: 5:49 am
Sunrise: 6:19 am
Sunset 8:51 pm
Twilight Ends: 9:21 pm

Moon Phase: Waning Crescent with 27% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated.

Moonrise 2:56 a.m.
Moonset 3:53 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 4:00 am on June 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.