This is a beautiful day in The Big Apple a classic, counterculture recurring comedy sketch that spoofed straight-laced 1960s television broadcasts.
- The Persona: Al Sleet, a laid-back, drug-alluded hippie delivering absurd and unhelpful meteorological forecasts.
- Catchphrases: He famously opened his segments with lines like, "Al Sleet here, your hippie-dippy weatherman, bringin' you the weather, man."
- Famous Forecasts: His forecasts often consisted of quintessential nonsense, such as, "Tonight's forecast... dark. Turning partly light by morning."
- Sponsors: He was humorously sponsored by fake businesses like Parson's Pest Control, which he claimed could help get rid of water bugs, termites, and help you "smoke the roaches."
- Carlin developed early iterations of the character in the mid-1960s (appearing on shows like The Jimmy Dean Show and The Ed Sullivan Show) when he was transitioning away from clean-cut suit-and-tie stand-up into his counterculture persona.
- The bit became a staple of his live performances well into the 1970s, featured on albums like George Carlin: Again! before Al Sleet eventually "retired" from the weather business to become a quality control inspector at a linoleum plant.
You can watch a classic vintage clip of the routine on YouTube - George Carlin Hippy Dippy Weatherman.
If you'd like, I can share:More of Al Sleet's funniest weather quotesDetails on George Carlin's transition from conventional comedian to counterculture iconInformation on his other classic routines from that era
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QndD39Luzb4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohnb2yaUggk
On Wednesday, the threat of excessive rainfall continues over the Middle
Mississippi Valley/Central Plains. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight
Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the Middle
Mississippi Valley/Central Plains on Wednesday into Thursday morning. The
associated heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of flash
flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and low-lying areas
being the most vulnerable.
In addition, on Wednesday, showers and thunderstorms will produce heavy
rain over parts of the Southwest. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight
Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the Southwest on
Wednesday into Thursday morning. The associated heavy rain will create
mainly localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small
streams, low-lying areas, and burn scars being the most vulnerable.
Furthermore, showers and severe thunderstorms will develop over parts of
the Lower Great Lakes on Wednesday. Therefore, the SPC has issued a Slight
Risk (level 2/5) of severe thunderstorms over the Lower Great Lakes on
Wednesday morning through Thursday morning. The hazards associated with
these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind
gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes.
