snoWatch: Winter preview

"Nothing lasts forever," sang Guns 'n Roses, "even cold November rain."

True enough. Today - Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 - midway through sixth period, the cold November rain that has darkened our moods for days ceased to make way for magic. Across the school, children huddled together against the windows to see it happen. At first, silence and disbelief; then, cheers and ecstasy.

What was this mythical thing, you ask? No, President-elect Obama did not visit Blair today. But something even more unifying (while at the same time more polar-izing, if you will) did - snow! In November!

"Preposterous!" say the global warming fearmongers. "The world is melting. How could there be snow in the fall? In Silver Spring?" After all, the last day we got off due to weather was because of a freak June rainstorm. The snow does not choose Montgomery County very often, unfortunately.

But the faithful still hope. MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast may have elected (ha, ha) to keep schools open on Inauguration Day, despite protests, but we still have the prayer of a snow day to get us through the seemingly everlasting second quarter and the dreaded exams in January.

And to help Blazers know when snow is go, Silver Chips Online's panel of experts* will brave the cold and stand outside each day that snow is predicted for about 30 seconds, at which point the experts will be chilly. The experts will then formulate a hypothesis of whether or not snow and school cancellation is likely, so that Blazers will be able to prepare for a day of fun - bittersweet, of course, because of all the learning to be missed. (Or maybe that's just the type of chocolate you're pouring into a steaming mug of cocoa!)

So here's to the frozen chosen of Blazers: snow! Amid a distraught Blair population, let this day be the first of many to bring us happiness in the form of cold white particles of elation. And the next time the skies look grey, the temperature drops below 32 degrees and weather.com predicts at least a 10 percent chance of precipitation, don't forget to check snoWatch before neglecting to do your homework.

* Editor's note: Readers should be advised to take nothing presented in snoWatch as fact. Silver Chips Online is not responsible for any unlucky Blazer who decides to skip homework only to discover a sunny, 40-degree day the following morning. Perturbed Blazers can blame weather.com.