News and Weather Briefing for Wednesday, December 8, 2021
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Local News
Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
On This Day
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OUTLOOK
Dry high pressure will build into the forecast area this afternoon and lingers through Thursday. A weak, yet moist, warm front crosses the region Thursday night into Friday, before an active cold front arrives from the west on Saturday. Dry high pressure returns Sunday and remains in control of the weather through the middle of next week.
**Weather Alert**
A cold front will cross the North Carolina mountains today and increase winds from the southwest. Expect wind gusting in the range of 35 to 45 miles per hour above 4000 feet through the early afternoon. Unsecured objects may be blown around and a few small or dead trees could also be knocked down. This will also make outdoor burning a very hazardous undertaking. This front will also bring a chance of thunderstorms with cloud to ground lighting being the main threat. …OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT…
The state of North Carolina has issued a state-wide burn ban.
Town of Franklin Declares a Fire Danger Emergency
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Local and State News
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Friday Night
Franklin area
Today
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before 8am. Patchy fog and cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. WInds out of the northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 30s. Calm winds.
Friday
Showers likely, mainly after 8am. Cloudy, with highs in the mid 60s. Chance of rain is 70%.
Friday Night
Showers likely. Cloudy, with lows in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 70%.
Highlands Plateau
Today
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before 8am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the upper 40s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph becoming light northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 30s. Light winds out of the south.
Friday
Showers likely. Cloudy, with highs in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 70%.
Friday Night
Showers. Lows in the lower 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.
Otto area
Today
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before 8am. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds early increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Thursday
Partly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 40. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Friday
Showers likely, mainly after 8am. Cloudy, with highs in the lower 60s. Chance of rain is 70%.
Friday Night
Showers. Low in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.
Nantahala area
Today
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly before 8am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs near 50. Light winds out of the northwest ealry increasing to 5 to 10 mph by midmorning. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming calm before midnight.
Thursday
Increasing clouds, with highs in the lower 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 40. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday
Showers likely. Cloudy, with highs near 60. Chance of rain is 70%.
Friday Night
Showers. Lows in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
A cold front will cross the North Carolina mountains today and increase winds from the southwest. Expect wind gusting in the range of 35 to 45 miles per hour above 4000 feet through the early afternoon. Unsecured objects may be blown around and a few small or dead trees could also be knocked down. This will also make outdoor burning a very hazardous undertaking. This front will also bring a chance of thunderstorms with cloud to ground lighting being the main threat.
…OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE…
The state of North Carolina has issued a state wide burn ban due to the very dry conditions and exceptionally dry fuels. This burn ban is expected to remain in place until significant rain occurs.
Outdoor burning is prohibited. Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities for further information. [Press Release]
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Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the extreme upper range of green for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the extreme upper range of green.
Fire and Smoke Map
Local Air Monitor
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (0.3 out of 12) today with Ragweed and various Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (1.3 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 8th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 76°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1956
lowest Temperature 7°F in Franklin in 2006
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.46 inches in Highlands in 1924
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 2.5 inches in Highlands in 1963
Record weather events for December in Macon County
Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on Dec 31, 1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on Dec 30, 1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands on Dec 14, 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on Dec 21, 1876
All-time record weather events for Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on Jan 21, 1985
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Mar 13, 1993
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to [email protected])
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is back in 2021! The 1¼ hour round-trip passenger excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot. For tickets, see [GSMR.com]
Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries
Adapted from an old Scandinavian custom of lighting the way for the Christ child, more than 2,500 candles in small white bags line the streets and every storefront is aglow with Christmas lights and decorations. Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music on Front Street. For more information, see [Visit Dillsboro]
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National and World News Roundup
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast – December 7th, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 7th, 2021
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Since it looks like we may be in for a new wave of infections, here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 18, 2021]
• UF researchers felt pressure to destroy COVID-19 data, not criticize DeSantis, report says [Miami Herald]
• Medicago and GSK announce positive Phase 3 efficacy and safety results for adjuvanted plant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate [gsk (Press Release)]
• Time of Day of Vaccination Affects SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Responses in an Observational Study of Health Care Workers [SAGE Journals]
• Rise in Blood Pressure Observed Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Circulation]
• Omicron variant ‘almost certainly’ not more severe than Delta, Fauci tells AFP [France 24]
• The U.S. surgeon general warns of a mental health crisis among young people, worsened by the pandemic. [New York Times]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
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Published at 5:00am on Wednesday, December 08, 2021
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 – Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac 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. Back to Top
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