Nuisance snow tomorrow, then mild with rain, then a week of thawage.
Upon investigation, I do not believe "thawage" (THô-ij), the process of thawing, is not, strictly speaking, a word. But I like it, so it stays.
I spent a portion of yesterday taking my dad for medical testing in Malvern (he's fine, but the procedure necessitated that he be anesthetized, so he needed a ride).
Whilst sitting in the waiting room, two older women sat just behind me, openly discussing their maladies and the specialists they have consulted for each. They spoke in faux-hushed tones (the kind of urgent whispers that are actually louder than normal speech). Soon the subject turned to why they had come to this place to consult with a gastroenterologist.
The first woman then said, "This doctor, I hear he's very good."
"Yes," the second woman responded, "he's the ass whisperer."
And at this, out of the corner of my eye, I saw both women nod sagely, then sit in reverent silence.
So, on to the forecast? Shall we?
A weak disturbance will move through tomorrow morning, and it would be barely worth mentioning if not for the timing. I expect light snow in the Berks-Lehigh areas, and some mixing with sleet closer to Philadelphia. We could see snow showers anytime from about 6am to 11am, so some morning commutes could be impacted. Temperatures will not rise above freezing until Friday afternoon, and the ground is very cold, so this precipitation will "stick" quickly. Still, it looks a bit spotty and light to me, and I don't think it will impact our normal action. Accumulations will be a coating to an inch.
Chance of delay Friday: 25%
Chance of cancellation Friday: 10%
Then we see temperatures soar to the upper 30s by late Friday afternoon and stay above freezing overnight to Saturday.
Saturday looks warmer (highs creeping into the 50s with warm southern breezes) but also quite rainy. Rain tapers to drizzle and light showers by Saturday evening.
Sunday will be colder (but nowhere near the polar vortex torture chamber of brrr we've been dealing with these past few days). Sunday and Monday will see some peeks of sunshine with highs in the mid to upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s.
More of the same on Tuesday. Colder Wednesday and Thursday (highs in the upper 30s, lows in the low 20s).
Next Friday (1/17) marks a glut of famous birthdays. The NBA's Dwayne Wade turns 31, Ray J (whom I will never forgive for making the Kardashians famous) turns 32, and Zooey Deschanel turns 33. Dancehall reggae's Shabba Ranks turns 47, First Lady Michelle Obama turns 49, serial overactor Jim Carrey turns 51, and Steve Harvey (some of whose daytime talk show I saw in the waiting room yesterday) turns 56.
There's more! Roots rocker and sometime actor Steve Earle turns 58, and comic/actor/visionary Andy Kaufman will celebrate his 64th birthday in seclusion in the Antilles, where he has lived since he faked his own death in 1984.
The Greatest, Muhammad Ali, turns 71, Maury Povich turns 74, and James Earl Jones turns 82. (This is the first time in recorded history that these three names have appeared in the same sentence.)
The incomparable Betty White will turn 91.
And Benjamin Franklin would be celebrating his 307th birthday on January 17th had he not died in 1790.
The weather on Friday will be sunny with highs in the 40s.
Next chances of wintry weather are 1/18 (a little ice?), 1/25 (snow), and 1/27 (snow).
Stay tuned for updates!