Here are 5 pieces of information designed to get your weekend started early and to help make you the smartest person in your car pool.

1. Your 3-Day Local Weather Forecast:

• According to the NWS, today will be sunny, with a high near 37. North wind 3 to 7 mph.
• Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Calm wind.
• Saturday A chance of snow before 2pm, then rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
• Saturday Night Rain and snow before 7pm, then snow between 7pm and 10pm, then rain and snow after 10pm. Low around 33. East wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
• Sunday Snow. High near 36. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
• Sunday Night A chance of snow before 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

2. Reader Comments of the Day:

"The FBI estimates that 2.5 Million times per year privately owned firearms are used to DEFEND a potential victim from a violent attack." Reader Frugal Fannie.

"FF - I think you'd have a hard time backing up that number. A more defensible number is closer to 1 million/year. Some more reputable facts: http://www.justfacts.com/guncontrol.asp#crime"  Reader John Intorcio.

Both were commenting on the story, "Should Massachusetts Gun Control Laws be Loosened?"

3. It's Happening Today: Have you seen Academy Award nominated "Argo" yet? Want to see it for free? This is your chance! Friday Night Flicks: Argo (Dinner & A Movie). Get to the Tewksbury Public Library by 7 p.m. and enjoy the show!!

4. It's Happening Today -- The Sequel: Actually, today and tomorrow. The MIAA is holding seeding meetings for the winter tournaments. Teams that have qualified for the Division 2 North Sectional Tournaments will know by tomorrow when and where they will be playing and who they will be facing.

5. And Another Thing: Do you own or manage a business in Tewksbury? Would you like it featured in a Tewksbury Patch article? Email Senior Local Editor Bill Gilman at williamg@patch.com to find out how.