Five Things You Need to Know Today

1. Not to “rain on your parade,” but there’s a 30 percent chance that Scarsdale is expecting more freezing precipitation this morning. The National Weather Service reports that temperatures will warm up to a high of 40 degrees by the afternoon, and skies will clear up sometime after 2 p.m., revealing an elusive blue sky. Here’s your chance to switch your iPod’s track list from Burt Bacharach’s “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” to the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” About time, huh?

2. Trendy Manhattan-based eatery Fig and Olive opens its doors – and fifth location – in Westchester County on Thursday, Jan. 20! Located at the Lord and Taylor Shopping Center on White Plains Road, this restaurant’s Mediterranean-inspired cuisine infuses dishes with olive oil in place of butter. Make your reservations today, or open dining spots might disappear as quickly as you can polish off the house cheesecake crème brulee. E-mail scarsdale@figandolive.com or call (914) 725-2900 for more information.

 3. Switch off your big screen TV and treat your kids to some real panoramic scenery by attending the Greenburgh Nature Center’s “nature fun hour" today from 10 – 11 a.m. Parents and children up to five years old are welcome to partake in scenic walks, live animal exhibits and story time sessions. Adult members pay $5 for self-admission and $4 per child, and non-members will be charged $9 per adult and $7 for tots. The Greenburgh Nature Center is located on 99 Dromore Road. Email info@greenburghnaturecenter.org or call (914) 723-3470 if you have any questions.

4. The Board of Education will be holding an open community budget discussion today from 10 – 11 a.m. at the Girl Scout House on Wayside Lane. Busy attending Fig and Olive’s grand opening or thawing in front of a fire after hiking through the Greenburgh Nature Center? Don’t fret – there’ll be another meeting on Thursday evening at 8 p.m. in Room 170-172 at Scarsdale High School. Both discussions are open to the public, and advanced registration is requested, although not required. Do your “homework” by calling the District office at (914) 721-2410, or email Irehm@scarsdaleschools.org for more information.

 5. Inside each of us lurks a landlocked mariner yearning for the sea. Avoid a wintry trip to the Jersey Shore by attending a lecture by author and Scarsdale resident Phillip Wallace at 8 p.m. Held in the Scarsdale Public Library’s Scott Room, Wallace’s presentation will examine his latest book, “Chasing the Cobra.” The novel explores America’s 19th century sea feuds against Barbary pirates adventures, which led to the formation of the U.S. Navy. Contact the library at (914)-722-1300 for further background information.