I have christened the upcoming storm Winter Storm Aretha because March 25th is the Queen of Soul's 72nd birthday. My favorite Aretha Franklin song is 1985's "Freeway of Love," which may make some of you wonder, "What about 'Chain of Fools'? What about 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T'?" No. It's "Freeway of Love," because it asks one of the most timeless and salient questions in the history of song: "How'd you get your pants so tight?" Bit of trivia: I used to call her "Urethra" because I thought it was hilarious. Alright: I still do, sometimes.
Also: the song is now in your head, and for that I am sorry, but not really.
It is Sir Elton John's 67th birthday on March 25th as well. Elton John and Aretha Franklin did work together once - a treacly 1989 duet called "Through the Storm" that was beneath both of them.
It is also Gloria Steinem's 80th birthday (!). If you don't know who she is, we can't be friends anymore.
And it's Domenick Lombardozzi's (Herc from "The Wire") 38th birthday.
The late, great blind blues guitarist Jeff Healey was born on March 25, 1966. He is perhaps best known for his band's residency at the Double Deuce in the Patrick Swayze tour-de-force Road House. (Note: if you have not seen Road House, stop reading immediately and find it and watch it.)
The late sportscasting Renaissance Man and legendary loudmouth Howard Cosell was born on March 25, 1918.
Rapper Juvenile (born Terius Gray) turns 39 on March 25th. Juvenile, perhaps best-known for his hit song "Back that Thang Up," is not to be confused with Juvenal, the imperial Roman poet of the first and second centuries whose Satires are a widely influential verse condemnation of human deviance.
Haywood Nelson, best known for his nuanced portrayal of Dwayne on "What's Happening!!" whose catchphrases included "Hey HEY Hey," "Uh UH!" and "Friendship is a sheltering tree." (That last one might be from somewhere else.) He is a Scientologist, which is kind of unsettling, and is the kind of troubling detail that you have come to expect here at the blog.
And finally, talking horse Sarah Jessica Parker, best known for her role in "Sex and the City," turns 49 on March 25th.
But the snow, Monsoon. Tell us about the snow.
Alright, here's what.
Models have been trending east, so it's looking like a we'll just get a glancing blow from this storm.
Sunny, breezy, and cold on Monday with a high of only 35.
On Tuesday, expect to see overcast conditions with scattered snow showers and flurries between about 8am and noon, steadier snow possible in isolated areas in the afternoon, and tapering snow showers/flurries by midnight. Here's why I think this isn't a big deal:
- The storm track is favoring an eastern solution, so there's relatively little moisture available for us.
- The bulk of the snow will fall during the daytime, and given the sun angle, it will struggle to accumulate on paved surfaces/sidewalks.
- The lack of dramatic phasing will prevent low pressure from intensifying and creating a major storm.
So I think we're looking at an inch or two of accumulation on cars and grassy surfaces.
School percentages:
Chance of delay Tuesday, 15%
Chance of cancellation Tuesday, 6%
Chance of early dismissal Tuesday, 23%
Chance of delay Wednesday, 31%
Chance of cancellation Wednesday, 11%
Wednesday will be cold and quite windy, with a high in the mid 30s but wind chills in the low 20s. We'll get down to 20 overnight, which is extremely low for this time of year.
But then!
Sunny and warmer on Thursday with a high of 49.
Milder still (with variable cloudiness and a few showers) on Friday with a high of 57.
The weekend looks just dandy: highs in the upper 50s.
April begins with a day in the 60s, then we'll run into some April showers, which are so clichéd. Rainy and cool on April 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Thereafter, a delightful spring.
Stay tuned for updates!