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Initial Forecast

· By Emma Oxford & Will Pfadenhauer · Published by Pandora's Blocks Weekly Meta Crossword · Published 2023-02-26T14:00:28.741Z

Meta Prompt
The answer to this week's meta is the winter weather phenomenon that could be a fifth theme entry.
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is now LIVE! Head on over to www.CrosswordsForCancer.com to get all 16 meta puzzles!
--
Hey there Crosshare solvers!
If you're enjoying these puzzles, head on over to www.PandorasBlocks.org to join our mailing list, get entered to win a Pandora's Blocks mug, get hints on tough puzzles and read detailed answer explanations (great for people just starting to solve metas).
Happy Solving! -Will
Checking for previous play data...

Leaderboard (updated hourly)

  • Jeffrey solved at 13:56 on 2/26/2023
  • hashbrown solved at 14:01 on 2/26/2023
  • Carolyn B solved at 14:02 on 2/26/2023
  • Byron solved at 14:05 on 2/26/2023
  • Tom Wilson solved at 14:08 on 2/26/2023
  • Resident Mutt solved at 14:08 on 2/26/2023
  • oldjudge solved at 14:09 on 2/26/2023
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  • Alex Sisti solved at 14:21 on 2/26/2023
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  • spotter solved at 14:30 on 2/26/2023
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  • DIS solved at 14:38 on 2/26/2023
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  • Joe Ross solved at 14:56 on 2/26/2023
  • Bird Lives solved at 14:59 on 2/26/2023
  • Jasonbr solved at 15:02 on 2/26/2023
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  • Matt M solved at 0:56 on 3/1/2023
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  • Tane solved at 23:54 on 3/2/2023
  • Phrogge solved at 0:57 on 3/3/2023
  • Jim McNeely solved at 1:59 on 3/3/2023
  • Nick solved at 3:05 on 3/3/2023
  • Puzzled solved at 4:00 on 3/3/2023
  • Max Chemtov solved at 6:37 on 3/3/2023
  • Sue Adams solved at 13:34 on 3/3/2023
  • Mikey G solved at 16:44 on 3/3/2023
  • Sarah solved at 19:56 on 3/3/2023
  • Chris solved at 0:27 on 3/4/2023
  • MARICH solved at 2:10 on 3/4/2023
  • Lauren Dryburgh solved at 5:23 on 3/4/2023
  • Meta World Peace solved at 22:52 on 3/4/2023
  • Brian Flock solved at 2:24 on 3/5/2023
  • Qmark solved at 3:20 on 3/5/2023
  • Burakodrama solved at 5:14 on 3/5/2023
  • Caleigh solved at 6:55 on 3/5/2023
  • woozy solved at 8:08 on 3/5/2023
  • carolyn fernald solved at 16:02 on 3/5/2023
  • MMG solved at 16:53 on 3/5/2023
  • DebF solved at 17:48 on 3/5/2023
  • Hoyt Arcane solved at 1:11 on 3/6/2023
  • Matt Dodge solved at 4:55 on 3/9/2023
  • MH solved at 13:28 on 3/9/2023
  • anon solved at 4:02 on 3/10/2023
  • Jessica Schirle solved at 0:26 on 3/11/2023
  • Dawn Landry solved at 19:34 on 3/15/2023
  • Oreode solved at 11:33 on 3/20/2023
  • lukey solved at 16:42 on 4/26/2023
  • AT solved at 1:03 on 5/26/2023

Comments

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  • Byron 🤓10:56 · 2023-02-26T14:06:21.664Z
    Nice fill
    • oldjudge 7s · 2023-02-26T14:16:22.626Z
      Pretty vafrous
      • MajordomoTom 🤓7:18 · 2023-02-26T16:11:19.732Z
        ugh
      • Capn Rick 🤓6:41 · 2023-02-26T14:20:15.199Z
        Nice one, Will! Definitely feeling it around here this past week!
        • boharr 3s · 2023-02-26T14:32:45.352Z
          Easy and fun. Thanks.
          • THC 🤓3:46 · 2023-02-26T14:49:42.030Z
            Thanks, Will!
            • Bird Lives 3s · 2023-02-26T15:09:48.443Z
              Poolside Vodkatini -- if you spend winter in the right sort of place.
              • Pandora's Blocks Weekly Meta Crossword publisher · 2023-02-26T16:00:25.041Z
                Ooh, one of those sounds great! Do you deliver?
              • Joe Ross 🤓4:56 · 2023-02-26T14:57:02.845Z
                Pleasant vice!
              • HeadinHome 🤓14:16 · 2023-02-26T15:27:07.275Z
                You’re right - a softball this week. Hope those of you in the said themer see springier days soon! (purple violets? plumbeous vireos? pure verdance? )
                • rickybillingsgate 5:01 · 2023-02-26T15:19:41.233Z
                  I feel pleasantly vindicated by submitting the correct answer to this challenge, which provided high puzzling value
                • KayW 🤓6:39 · 2023-02-26T15:54:56.838Z
                  Palpably Venerable. And I had no idea about 39 down39DSite where many invasive plants are sold[----]. Thanks for enlightening me, as well as for a fun puzzle
                  • whimsy 14:25 · 2023-02-26T16:04:28.430Z
                    Positively Vacation-worthy. Thank you Emma and Will!
                    • wendy walker 3s · 2023-02-26T16:21:45.926Z
                      Fun one, Will!
                      • MajordomoTom 🤓7:18 · 2023-02-26T16:11:07.211Z
                        would have been my "hail mary" guess even w/o the grid ... something I'm tired of hearing about
                        • Cindy Heisler 2s · 2023-02-26T16:23:33.949Z
                          That was fun. And appropriate for the kind of weather we have been having recently. Thanks, Will and Emma!
                          • I K Snamhcok 🤓12:29 · 2023-02-26T16:28:20.767Z
                            Pfadenhauerian value!
                            • MatthewL 🤓8:25 · 2023-02-26T18:27:02.799Z
                              Nice one. Thanks.
                              • Jeff G 4s · 2023-02-26T19:04:53.803Z
                                Easy and enjoyable as advertised!
                                • Carolyn 3s · 2023-02-26T21:01:16.659Z
                                  Cool!
                                  • hoover 6s · 2023-02-26T22:43:57.013Z
                                    • Mwoychick 🤓9:47 · 2023-02-26T22:45:00.990Z
                                      Thanks for the puzzle - fun clues and fill! Glad to be mostly missing out on the polar vortex so far, and hope it is as short-lived as possible for all who are more directly affected!
                                      • Anita and Steve 2s · 2023-02-26T23:22:52.209Z
                                        Got this one with only a quarter of the grid filled.
                                        • hazmat 🤓7:13 · 2023-02-26T23:53:05.215Z
                                          THANKS!
                                          • tromboneknuckles 🤓11:26 · 2023-02-27T03:26:36.054Z
                                            i waited until i completed the grid before trying to find the answer, had to google correctly for a while tbh
                                            • em 🤓8:15 · 2023-02-27T04:18:48.517Z
                                              nice :^)
                                              • ReB 🤓34:20 · 2023-02-27T04:55:51.909Z
                                                So disappointed the answer wasn't Puschkin Vodka (a winter phenomenon in Germany perhaps?) Enjoyable cluing, though I had to solve the grid from the bottom up. Took just a few moments of thought once I finished the grid and wrote down the themers. Nice meta for a vacation.
                                                • hbxwords 🤓3:36 · 2023-02-27T16:26:49.941Z
                                                  Positive vibes from this one, thanks!
                                                  • DrTom 3s · 2023-02-27T21:16:28.720Z
                                                    I was going to answer Parsimonious Velociraptor, but it wasn't the right length. Thanks for a breezy (not Easy Peasy) puzzle!
                                                    • hashbrown 🤓9:54 · 2023-02-28T20:20:32.618Z
                                                      Professional vexation, Will!
                                                      • Garrett Herzfeld 🤓4:46 · 2023-03-02T15:40:41.080Z
                                                        First meta I've ever done/participated in. Thanks for a good puzzle!
                                                      • Meta World Peace 3s · 2023-03-04T22:55:26.949Z
                                                        Those two letters will always be reserved for "present value" to us finance types ;) Great GAS PEDALS clue!
                                                        • Qmark 🤓20:43 · 2023-03-05T03:20:56.281Z
                                                          Thanks Will!
                                                          • woozy 11:01 · 2023-03-05T08:09:08.742Z
                                                            Nice one.
                                                            It wasn't "potential vorticity"?
                                                            1A
                                                            "Not today, ___!"
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                                                            Across
                                                            1. 1A
                                                              "Not today, ___!"
                                                            2. 6A
                                                              Original Obi-Wan portrayer
                                                            3. 10A
                                                              Run smoothly
                                                            4. 13A
                                                              Certain humanities subject, to students
                                                            5. 14A
                                                              Common state for a soap opera character
                                                            6. 15A
                                                              Vader's childhood nickname
                                                            7. 16A
                                                              Dangerous political situation
                                                            8. 18A
                                                              Members of 37-Across37ASee 18-Across[---]
                                                            9. 19A
                                                              Seek divine intervention
                                                            10. 20A
                                                              Feel awful
                                                            11. 21A
                                                              Some evergreens
                                                            12. 23A
                                                              Font flourish
                                                            13. 25A
                                                              Big name in pest control
                                                            14. 28A
                                                              Ivory, but not ebony
                                                            15. 29A
                                                              Grammatical construction this clue was written in
                                                            16. 32A
                                                              Tea, so to speak
                                                            17. 35A
                                                              "Distracted boyfriend" or "Expanding brain," for example
                                                            18. 36A
                                                              UPS alternative
                                                            19. 37A
                                                              See 18-Across18AMembers of 37-Across[---]
                                                            20. 38A
                                                              Untruth
                                                            21. 40A
                                                              Took a load off
                                                            22. 41A
                                                              Moray, e.g.
                                                            23. 42A
                                                              Show on which Bill Hader played Stefon, for short
                                                            24. 43A
                                                              Not for
                                                            25. 45A
                                                              Wanderers
                                                            26. 47A
                                                              Certain YouTube workout
                                                            27. 50A
                                                              Rachel's role in "The Mummy"
                                                            28. 51A
                                                              Uber competitor
                                                            29. 52A
                                                              RBIs and stolen bases, for two
                                                            30. 56A
                                                              Industrious ones
                                                            31. 58A
                                                              Inc. relative
                                                            32. 60A
                                                              A deficiency of it causes anemia
                                                            33. 61A
                                                              Half the cost of something really expensive?
                                                            34. 62A
                                                              Election method often contrasted with an electoral college
                                                            35. 66A
                                                              Meadow
                                                            36. 67A
                                                              Jai ___
                                                            37. 68A
                                                              Seeds for crosswords
                                                            38. 69A
                                                              Orlando-to-Miami dir.
                                                            39. 70A
                                                              Care for
                                                            40. 71A
                                                              "Alas"
                                                            Down
                                                            1. 1D
                                                              Be an irritating roommate, in a way
                                                            2. 2D
                                                              Doing battle
                                                            3. 3D
                                                              Dani Rojas suffers from them in "Ted Lasso"
                                                            4. 4D
                                                              Heading next to Dep. at the airport
                                                            5. 5D
                                                              Super ___ (celestial event)
                                                            6. 6D
                                                              Recognition
                                                            7. 7D
                                                              Bud's partner in comedy
                                                            8. 8D
                                                              Animal you might find in a chrysanthemum?
                                                            9. 9D
                                                              Sleep under the stars, perhaps
                                                            10. 10D
                                                              Was completely blindsided
                                                            11. 11D
                                                              Not maximized, as one's potential
                                                            12. 12D
                                                              Gets eliminated from a bee
                                                            13. 13D
                                                              TikTok and Snapchat, for two
                                                            14. 17D
                                                              Broadcasts
                                                            15. 22D
                                                              Football play also known as "halfback lead"
                                                            16. 24D
                                                              Have no luck with
                                                            17. 26D
                                                              Currier's partner
                                                            18. 27D
                                                              More than request
                                                            19. 30D
                                                              Type of gem that's one letter off from a type of piano
                                                            20. 31D
                                                              Nixes
                                                            21. 32D
                                                              Features of electric cars too, colloquially (it would be more accurate to just call them accelerators)
                                                            22. 33D
                                                              Opposites of fussy eaters
                                                            23. 34D
                                                              Student loan corporation that was once a government entity
                                                            24. 39D
                                                              Site where many invasive plants are sold
                                                            25. 44D
                                                              Liquid that drips
                                                            26. 46D
                                                              Some drivers
                                                            27. 48D
                                                              ___ Lingus
                                                            28. 49D
                                                              "There, there, ___ be alright"
                                                            29. 53D
                                                              Pleasant scent (like the one you get from boiling sugar maple sap)
                                                            30. 54D
                                                              Carried (around)
                                                            31. 55D
                                                              1990s gaming platform
                                                            32. 57D
                                                              Tiff
                                                            33. 59D
                                                              Lions and tigers, but not bears
                                                            34. 63D
                                                              World Cup cheer
                                                            35. 64D
                                                              Give a horrible review
                                                            36. 65D
                                                              Letter after pi
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