Today is Thursday, Jan. 20. Here are five things you need to know:

1. A break from the snow, but not the cold: Today brings a slight respite from the messy weather of this week. According to the National Weather Service, it will be partly sunny, with highs in the mid-20s. Snow is likely to begin before dawn Friday morning, the weather service said.
2. Water, water everywhere: And not because of all the snow and rain from the past few days. The Water Commission meets tonight in Room 5 at Town Hall at 7. Among the agenda items are a discussion on the status of the water-rate study and a conservation bylaw update. 
3. Games of the week: The North Reading High School boys and girls basketball teams take on Wilmington on Friday night. North Reading Patch will have you covered. Check out a preview later today, and check back this weekend and Monday morning for recaps of the games.  
4. We’re out of gas: Need to fill up before the weekend? According to GasBuddy.com, the cheapest gallon of self-serve, regular gas as of Wednesday afternoon was $3.09 at 7-Eleven on Main Street. Hess, across North Street, came in at $3.11 per gallon. 
5. Ask not what your country can do for you: Presidential historians would know that today is the day of presidential inaugurations. Massachusetts native son John F. Kennedy was among those who took the oath of office on this date, with his term beginning in 1961. In 1981, minutes after the swearing in of President Ronald Reagan, the 52 U.S. hostages held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, were released, ending the 444-day Iran hostage crisis, according to History.com.

To find more things to do today, check out our event listings.