The snowstorm that never came the weekend of Jan. 24 finally arrived, delivering five to seven inches of powder to Franklin.
Macon County saw its first good snowfall of 2026 over the weekend, seeing precipitation start late in the evening on Friday, Jan. 30, and continuing into the early afternoon on the 31st. Temperatures held below freezing for most of Sunday before dipping into the single digits Sunday night into Monday morning. Slush and ice froze again Monday night causing cancellations and delays across the county.
Dispatch
Macon County 911 reported eight vehicle collisions Saturday and another six on Sunday. Five stranded motorists were reported Saturday, three on Sunday. Two abandoned vehicles were reported over the weekend. 911 Supervisor Todd Seagle said this was a slight uptick from usual. An additional four wrecks and one stranded motorist were reported by 3 p.m. Monday.
Closures
All Macon County and Town of Franklin administrative offices were closed Monday, with the county offices operating on a two-hour delay Tuesday. All recycling centers and transfer stations were closed Saturday and Sunday. Franklin centers operated on a delay Monday while transfer stations in Highlands, Buck Creek, Scaly Mountain and Nantahala were closed all day. On Tuesday, all centers except Holly Springs and Nantahala were open. Some centers opened on a delay.
Macon County Schools kept students off the road with remote learning days on Monday and Tuesday.
Roads
Department of Transportation Maintenance Engineer Austin Phillips said all primary state roads were clear and, while the county was able to go over all the secondary roads to plow and resalt as needed, there was still some risk of refreezing overnight. Phillips advised drivers to remain cautious as they drive.
No Wrong Door
The No Wrong Door office was closed Monday, but the warming station on East Main Street was kept open all through last week, into the weekend and on Monday evening. On Tuesday evening, warm enough weather was forecast that the nonprofit decided to not open, but Director Sheila Jenkins said it may be open Wednesday night if necessary.
“The weekend was rough, but with great staff and volunteers the warming station was open day and night. The community fed three meals a day and lots of snacks,” Jenkins said. She added the station had seen 210 visits over the course of the last week with ages ranging from 11 to 65, with six dogs and two veterans.