Groundhog Day

Ok, so there is far too much attention given to small furry rodents and their meteorological acumen. But, having said that, I find myself more and more interested in the coming and goings of Punxsutawney Phil and the rest of the groundhogs around the country.

In case you missed it, Punxsutawney Phil was snatched from the warm confines of his hovel by strange men in top hats and tails and thrown into the spotlight of local and national news reports. This yearly ritual had us all glued to the TV and anxiously awaiting his observation. (Well maybe not glued) And, according to the little man staring at Phil, the groundhog saw his shadow.

Now, when the groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day it means that Winter's grip will hold for 6 more weeks (which is when winter actually ends). If the groundhog does not see his shadow he will scurry about... sure that winter would soon be over... an Early Spring. But when I looked at the weather reports from the surrounding cities near Punxsutawney, PA , all of the reports showed cloudy and overcast conditions with light snow. HOW can he see his shadow if it was cloudy? hmmmm! We will see.

Weatherwise the pattern that has been persistent this winter, dominated by the El Nino, will continue through the month of February. That means cool conditions East of the Rockies and several wet weather systems.

Groundhog Day is a tradition that was created in the 1700s by residents in Pennsylvania of German ancestry. Germans had long celebrated Candelmas Day, winter's halfway point, and brought the tradition to North America. In Germany, they looked to the badger but Pennsylvania had groundhogs...and thus began Groundhog Day.