“One can’t predict the weather more than a few days in advance.”
~ Stephen Hawking

Living on the surface of the Earth, our awareness of events happening is, at this level, the troposphere, where all weather occurs. Perhaps not included in “our” weather was Stephen Hawking’s statement. His mind was on events happening in the farthest reaches of the universe. Plato’s “Cosmology,” written in 360BC, states man’s soul returns to the star whence he came. In 1865, Clausious developed the first law of thermodynamics that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred. Their writings give credence to my thought: a certain star shines brighter tonight with the passing of physicist Stephen Hawking.

Many years ago, I had the honor of being in the same room with Stephen Hawking. The room was the auditorium at Cal Tech and I consider it one of my more memorable experiences. Filled to capacity, it fell silent when he entered the stage. Yes, you could have heard a pin drop. The awe of his presence seemed almost tangible. The audience hung on his every slowly delivered word as we felt caught up in a self-created time warp. As I slipped into his world, my brain was given a workout such as never before or most likely ever again. My comprehension was at most 50%.

Thinking back to that evening, Stephen Hawking’s mention of weather (above quotation) seems rather insignificant within the scope of the universe. But it’s all relative.

Back to the weather in our humble Crescenta Valley…

Yesterday, Wednesday, as I finished writing, only a mere .51 inches of rain had fallen. These come with either disappointment or relief, depending on your location. But hold onto your umbrella! Meteorologists predict the brunt of the storm will hit this morning and, pertaining to the precipitation amount, “2-5 inches foothills/mtns for eastern Ventura and LA Counties.”

With a quick turnabout, the weekend promises clear and warmer weather. Beyond then, the forecast remains up in the air.

Words not of a physicist, but of a father: “One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.” ¬– Stephan Hawking to Diane Sawyer/ABC News, June 2010

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley resident and Official Skywarn Spotter for the National Weather Service. Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.