Good morning and a warm welcome to your show,
Sunny Mornings in Boston. I'm your host, Melissa,
and it's Monday, January 5th. You'll be interested
to know. 317 years ago, today in 1709, Europe's
coldest winter in 500 years began to take hold.
It would kill hundreds of thousands of people,
make travel and trade nearly impossible. and
disrupt two wars. Plematologists are still trying
to understand the cause of what became known
as the Great Frost. So now you know. And now,
it's time for the weather report. This morning
it's mostly sunny and it feels like 5 degrees
with 7 mile per hour wind. The sunset will take
place at 426 and it will rise again tomorrow
at 7 -11. It looks like we're in for some mostly
cloudy skies today, with a high near 27 and a
light southwest wind at 3 to 7 miles per hour,
plus a chance of snow this afternoon. Tonight.
Expect snow likely before 10 p .m., with a low
around 24 and light winds from the south. For
all you beach runners out there, the first low
tide Monday will be at 6. with a high tide at
1215. The nearshore gooey at Cape Cod Bay reads
38 degrees for the water temperature. Looking
ahead in the weather, Tuesday will be mostly
cloudy with a high near 39 and a slight chance
of afternoon rain with north winds around five
miles per hour. Rain becomes likely Tuesday night
into Wednesday morning, with lows near 33 and
Wednesday warming to around 45, under breezy
west winds near 7 miles per hour. Thursday is
sunny, with a high near 45 before rain chances.
Return late Thursday night into Friday, with
Friday highs near 49. Bonjour, food enthusiasts!
This podcast is brought to you by Versailles
Cafe and Pastries in Encinitas. Nestled on El
Camino Real South, just north of Encinitas Boulevard,
this cafe is a haven for culinary delights. Indulge
in their amazing Eggs Benedict or their gluten
-free crepes. You can grab a panini for lunch
or just breeze on through to get your morning
coffee. They are open every day from 8 to 5.
So stop on by and don't forget to tell them.
Sunny mornings send you. In local news, the Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority will not be running
commuter rail to or from North Station most weekends
through April. From January through April, trains
will be suspended on several weekends to allow
for necessary signal improvement work, according
to Kiilas, which operates the commuter rail for
the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
The project will replace an obsolete signal system.
which controls the flow of commuter rail and
Amtrak trains, with a new microprocessor system
that requires less maintenance. Riders should
budget extra time if relying on the subway or
shuttle buses during this period. Now onto sports.
Those who tuned into the Sunday night football
matchup between the Ravens and Steelers last
night, ended the regular season with a treat,
as the two AFC North rivals went blow -for -blow,
resulting in the Steelers escaping with a 26
-24 win and the AFC North crown. How they got
there, though, might have been an act of divine
intervention. Ravens kicker Tyler Loop sliced
a kick wide right of the uprights as time expired,
gifting the Steelers the win and answering the
prayers of many Steelers faithful. Prior to the
game, a priest was seen blessing an end zone
with holy water, the same end zone where Loop's
missed field goal try occurred. With this victory,
Pittsburgh secured the last remaining ticket
to the 2025 NFL playoffs. Pittsburgh will defend
home turf against the Houston Texans on January
13th in the wild card round. And now the NFL
playoff picture is heating up with six wild -card
matchups showcasing thrilling drama. The Packers
and Bears rivalry resumes after splitting recent
games, while the Bills face Jackson Bills' league
-leading defense. Justin Herbert seeks his first
playoff win against a Patriots team that finished
second in the AFC. The Texans arrive in Pittsburgh,
riding a nine -game winning streak. And with
Matthew Stafford making an MV key case, the Rams
aim to rebound against the Panthers in local
sports. Last season, when the Patriots faced
the Los Angeles Chargers, New England trudged
off following a 40 -7 loss in one of its final
games before Mike Vrabel was hired as coach.
After Vrabel led the Patriots from worst to first
in the ASC East, New England will host the Chargers
again this time in the playoffs. Ramondre Stevenson
ran for two touchdowns and caught another from
most valuable player contender Drake May as the
Patriots completed their remarkable turnaround
season with a 38 -10 win over the Miami Dolphins
on Sunday. The Patriots finished 14 -3, their
most victories since they won the Super Bowl
to cap that 2016 season. They will be the number
two seed and host the seven seeded chargers in
the wild card round next weekend. In top news,
going meat -free for just a few weeks can trigger
surprising changes, from gut bacteria shifts
to lower cholesterol. Research suggests that
brief periods without meat can lead to weight
loss, improved heart health, and changes in gut
and immune systems. Replacing calorie -dense
meats with fiber -rich plant foods can help reduce
overeating and promote weight loss. Studies indicate
that vegetarian diets can lower blood pressure
and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of
heart disease. Additionally, early findings suggest
that a plant -based diet may enhance immune function.
However, experts caution that smart food choices
are essential for optimal health. In business
news, stocks finished trading on Friday with
the Dow Jones Industrial Average leading the
major indexes higher to open the new year, as
investors began to evaluate the 2026 landscape.
For the holiday -abbreviated week, the blue -chip
Dow gained 319 points, or 0 .66%. The benchmark
Standard & Poor's 500 picked up 0 .2%. while
the tech -heavy Nasdaq composite finished just
below the flatline. The first full week of trading
in 2026 will see economic data get back on track
after last year's disruption. The December jobs
report is expected to show a slowdown in hiring,
with non -farm payrolls projected to grow by
55 ,000. In crypto movement, Bitcoin is up 5
% over the weekend to $93 ,000. Ethereum is up
6 % to just over 3 ,000. And XRP is up 14 % to
$2 .15. Moving on to a more local vibe. In our
community spotlight on health and wellness, we
are working with a national Pilates studio to
bring you some free classes, so listen up. Check
out Club Pilates with several locations in the
Boston area. Pilates presents a comprehensive
wellness approach, cultivating strength, reducing
tension, and elevating mental well -being. Scientific
research affirms its benefits. So now you can
check out Club Pilates for a free class. With
locations in Canton, Wellesley, Hingham, Brookline,
and Framingham, just be sure to tell them Sunny
Morning sent you by. And now, back to the show.
Let's talk science. Scientists have just measured
the mass of a rogue planet about the same size
as Saturn for the first time. These planets drift
through interstellar space without a star, making
them challenging to study. Led by Subodhan of
Peking University, the research team analyzed
how the planet's gravity bent light from a distant
star. This microlensing event was observed from
both Earth and the now -retired Gaia Space Observatory.
The study marks a breakthrough for understanding
these mysterious cosmic bodies, with hopes for
further research using NASA's Nancy Grace Roman
Space Telescope, set to launch in September.
William H. Macy, one of the stars of Dan Fogelman's
upcoming NFL drama on Hulu, pulled the curtain
a bit on the series, which had been shrouded
in secrecy. Macy revealed the title and setting
of the anticipated series, saying it's about
a football team, nominally the Cleveland Browns.
It's called The Land, because that's what people
from Cleveland call it. He expressed his excitement,
stating, The plots are so profound, and I'm having
the time of my life. The series features Chris
Maloney as the head coach, with Macy playing
the team owner. Macy added, the NFL is completely
behind our show, so we've got complete access.
Well, all righty, folks. It's time for the quote
of the day. And today, our quote comes from the
American inventor and visionary, Buckminster
Fuller. And he said, And that's a wrap for this
morning. You can check out our Instagram, YouTube,
and TikTok for some captivating aerial videos
with local news and the weather reports. Had
an amazing day, my good friends. We'll see you
tomorrow with another episode of Sunny Mornings
in Boston.