Daily Weather Briefing for Friday, August 17, 2018

TODAY

A slight chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 10am. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 74. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

TONIGHT

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11pm, then a chance of showers. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming west northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

SATURDAY

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9am, then showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after noon. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. West southwest wind 5 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. West northwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

SUNDAY

A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 1am, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

TODAY

A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 3pm and 4pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 4pm. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 76. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

TONIGHT

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Patchy fog after 9pm. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

SATURDAY

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10am, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 10am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. West southwest wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 11pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. West wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

SUNDAY

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2am, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

GOES-16 GeoColor – True Color daytime, multispectral IR
12:42 am to 2:37 am this morning

HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not expected today. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible this afternoon.

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 – Band 15 – 12.3 µm – Dirty Longwave Window – IR (Precipitation)
2:42 am this morning

TROPICAL OUTLOOK

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Fri Aug 17 2018

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

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Ernesto, located several hundred miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

1. A tropical wave located about 500 miles east-southeast of the Windward Island continues to produce a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Development, if any, of this system should be slow to occur during the next day or two while it moves west-northwestward around 15 mph toward the Windward Islands. By late Saturday, unfavorable environmental conditions should limit the chances for additional development while the system moves over the eastern Caribbean Sea. Regardless of development, this system is likely to bring locally heavy rainfall to portions of the Lesser Antilles later today and this weekend.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days…low…20 percent.

Suminski Family Books Summer Film Fest for Families

All ticket sales sold by FROG volunteers benefit:

FRIENDS OF THE GREENWAY, INC.

Location: Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts
Start time for each movie: 7:00 PM
Save When You Pre-Buy Your Tickets!

Single Ticket $5 for each movie (pre & at the door)
Season Pass $15 1 ticket to each movie Family of 4 Season Passes $50 4 tickets to each movie

Movies and Dates:

Paddington 2 on July 12, 2018
Hidden Figures on July 19, 2018
Peter Rabbit on August 19, 2018
Wonder on August 26, 2018 (benefits Friends of the Greenway)

Purchase at FROG Quarters, 573 E. Main (next to new bridge) Hours: Wed-Fri, 9 AM-2 PM

There are 3 other non-profits involved: Folk Heritage Association of Macon County NC, Grandpa’s Woodshed Project, Women’s History Trail, and Read2Me. The FROG-specific specific movie is Wonder, but our members can pre-sell tickets to all movies.

Franklin Health & Fitness 30th Anniversary Celebration [LINK]
http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/franklin-health-fitness-announces-their.html

Uptown Gallery classes
(These are on-going classes – repeat weekly)

Free classes and open studio times are being offered at The Uptown Gallery in Franklin. Join others at a painting open studio session every Tuesday from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm or on Thursday from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Bring your own materials and join an on-going drawing course led by gallery artists on Fridays, from 11am – 2 pm. For information on days open, hours and additional art classes and workshops, contact the gallery on 30 East Main Street at (828) 349 – 4607.

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.

Sun and Moon

Sun

Begin civil twilight 6:28 a.m.
Sunrise 6:55 a.m.
Sun transit 1:38 p.m.
Sunset 8:20 p.m.
End civil twilight 8:46 p.m.

Moon

Moonset 12:02 a.m.
Moonrise 1:32 p.m.
Moon transit 7:07 p.m.
Moonset 12:37 a.m. tomorrow morning

Phase of the Moon on August 17, 2018: Waxing Crescent with 43% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated.
Closest Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter on August 18, 2018 at 3:48 a.m. (local daylight time)

Sky Guides for this week

Sky and Telescope Magazine 
Astronomy Magazine

There will be three solar and two lunar eclipses in 2018. [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]

CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

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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 3:05 am on August 17, 2018

#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, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center.