Just in time for Thanksgiving in many areas across the U.S. the weather has become more winter-like than autumn. Frigid temperatures are dominating the northeast. Here in the Crescenta Valley foothills, rain is expected through tomorrow morning with totals of 0.70 to 1.25 inches. To the north, snow is falling in the Sierra. Spot-on weather for Thanksgiving Day!

Fun Facts for a Rainy Thanksgiving Day

• In 1953, someone at Swanson misjudged the number of frozen turkeys it would sell that Thanksgiving by 26 tons! An industrious employee had an idea; slice up the meat, add stuffing and the trimmings. The first TV dinner was born!

• No shopping tomorrow if you’re a plumber. According to Roto-Rooter, Black Friday is its busiest day all year. They clean up after household guests who “overwhelm the system.”

• There are several U.S. places named Turkey. Louisiana’s Turkey Creek is the most populous with 435 residents. There’s also Turkey, Texas; Turkey, North Carolina; and Turkey Creek, Arizona. Two townships in Pennsylvania are creatively named Upper Turkeyfoot and Lower Turkeyfoot!

• Gobble, gobble? Not so fast. Only tom turkeys can gobble. Females, called hens, cackle.

• Don’t blame turkey. You stuffed yourself and now you’re sleepy. The tryptophan in the turkey adds little to this feeling. Chickens have more tryptophan. You’re groggy because you overate; digesting all that grub takes a lot of energy!

• Why is a turkey called a turkey? Back in the day, the Europeans enjoyed guinea fowls imported by Turkish merchants. The English called the merchants “Turkies.” When Spaniards came to America, they found a bird tasting like guinea fowls. When they were sent to Europe, the English called these birds “turkeys” as well.

The morning’s showers are expected to end as the turkey is cooking. A warming trend is predicted over the weekend into next week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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