HIDEWinter Weather Advisory issued February 11 at 12:21PM EST until February 12 at 6:00AM EST by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg
...BITTERLY COLD WITH NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS TODAY AND TONIGHT
OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...
.ARCTIC AIR WILL SPILL INTO THE REGION TODAY WHICH WILL CAUSE
TEMPERATURES TO PLUMMET AND SNOW TO DEVELOP OVER THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS NEAR THE TENNESSEE BORDER. COLD AND BLUSTERY
NORTHWEST WINDS ALONG WITH SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING.
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EST
SUNDAY...
* LOCATIONS...MADISON COUNTY IN NORTH CAROLINA.
* HAZARDS...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL PRODUCE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL
DUE TO SLIPPERY ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY AT TIMES. STRONG
WIND GUSTS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT.
* TIMING...IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
* ACCUMULATIONS...2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW.
* IMPACT...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. A FEW POWER OUTAGES DUE
TO HIGH WINDS KNOCKING DOWN TREE BRANCHES AND POWER LINES.
WITH FAIRLY WARM GROUND...SNOW WILL MELT AND THEN QUICKLY
REFREEZE...MAKING FOR UNUSUALLY TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS
AS THE DAY PROGRESSES.
* TEMPERATURES...WILL HOLD STEADY IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S FOR
THE VALLEYS AND UPPER 20S FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TODAY AND
THEN FALL INTO THE TEENS THIS EVENING AS THE COLDER AIR MOVES
IN.
* WINDS...WILL STEADILY INCREASE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST TODAY WITH
SPEEDS BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 TO 50 MPH
OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
Counties Affected:
Madison
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg (Western North Carolina and Northwest South Carolina)
HIDE The past few days a huge flock of Wild Turkeys have been in the bottom below Meat Camp Baptist Church. They really are beautiful birds and so amazing that they are so big!! Then last night I had a nice little Eastern Screech Owl calling at the house. Then just today, a really big Raven was in the road eating a rabbit carcass and it stayed in the road until the last possible minute then looked so big and amazing blue-black as he wheeled up in front of the car. Just gorgeous.
But a lot of birders do like the rarities and we have a couple just off the mountains. Dwayne Martin found a Ross' Goose and a Greater White-fronted Goose. There are also some Rufous Hummingbirds still around in the foothills. And now that February is coming, early returnees will be showing up like big flocks of blackbirds and grackles, migrant waterfowl, and sparrows moving through in March. So enjoy these days and look for the passing flock of chickadees, or a Pileated Woodpecker.
For more information on birds in the High Country call the Watauga Birding Hotline at 828-265-0198. Also visit www.ncaudubon.org, www.carolinabirdclub.org, Visit the Audubon North Carolina blog at http://ncaudubonblog.org/blog/
