Groundhog day- don't put the coats away yet

[artist4perry]

Groundhog Day 2012: How groundhogs stack up against Mother Nature
February 2, 2012

http://youtu.be/JE0gddpeGnY



Groundhog_Day_fans
Groundhog Day 2012 hoopla is tickling the nation. Maybe it's a sign of too much technology in our lives or of boredom with the upcoming election, but Americans really seem to be getting a kick out of the quaint and quirky tradition of letting a groundhog predict the weather.

How else to explain why thousands of people showed up on this cold and dark winter's morning at Gobblers Knob -- seriously, it's called Gobblers Knob -- in Punxsutawney, Pa., to see whether Punxsutawney Phil would catch a glimpse of his shadow? And why "Groundhog Day" stories are setting the Web on fire, with no less than six of the Top 10 most frequently searched terms on Google relating in some way shape or form to prognosticating groundhogs?

But, come on, people, it can't all be butterflies and rainbows and groundhogs. We have to ask: Can groundhogs really predict what Mother Nature has in store?

The U.S. National Climatic Data Center says that the answer is "no."

"It really isn't a 'bright' idea to take a measure such as a groundhog's shadow and use it as a predictive meteorological tool for the entire United States," the center says on its website.

(Sounds like some folks are jealous that thousands of people aren't showing up outside their door each day to cheer them on while they're doing their jobs.)

The service went all the way back to 1988 and compared Punxsutawney Phil's predictions with actual weather temperatures. The folks there then put all the data into a nifty chart -- and found little to no correlation.

"The table shows no predictive skill for the groundhog during the most recent years of this analysis," according to the center.

(Sounds like some folks are awfully defensive, too).

Groundhog Day and its traditions are said to come from Europe, dating back to a time when people closely watched the comings and goings of animals for signs of the future. Groundhog legend has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day -- Feb. 2 -- winter weather will drag on for another six weeks. If no shadow appears, an early spring is on the way.

[artist4perry]

Phil has rivals you know....

http://youtu.be/PVz59jSEGbA

http://youtu.be/FXiPiNjfC4A

http://youtu.be/fqstA7t8RcE

[artist4perry]

This was October's predictions.
AccuWeather.com Long-Range Meteorologist Josh Nagelberg even went so far as to say, "People in Chicago are going to want to move after this winter."


The AccuWeather.com Long-Range Forecasting Team is predicting another brutally cold and snowy winter for a large part of the country, thanks in large part to La Niña... yet again.

La Niña, a phenomenon that occurs when sea surface temperatures across the equatorial central and eastern Pacific are below normal, is what made last year's winter so awful for the Midwest and Northeast. Monster blizzards virtually shut down the cities of New York and Chicago. Last winter was one of New York City's snowiest on record.

La Niñas often produce a volatile weather pattern for the Midwest and Northeast during winter due to the influence they have on the jet stream.

[artist4perry]

We are predicted to have unseasonable warm weather all the way to the 14th. Hmmmm...........Mosquitoes are going to be brutal this year if we don't get a good cold snap.

[artist4perry]

Metro Atlanta / State News 10:27 a.m. Thursday, February 2, 2012


By Mike Morris

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s most famous groundhog, General Beauregard Lee, declared spring to be just around the corner after emerging from his plantation-style home at Gwinnett County’s Yellow River Game Ranch on a cloudy Thursday morning and seeing no shadow.

General Beauregard Lee leaves his home but doesn't see his shadow on Thursday morning, meaning an early spring for the area.
Channel 2 Action News General Beauregard Lee leaves his home but doesn't see his shadow on Thursday morning, meaning an early spring.
According to weather lore, if the groundhog sees his shadow on Feb. 2, there will be six more weeks of winter.

That’s what happened Thursday in Gobbler’s Knob, Pa., where Punxsutawney Phil made his annual appearance.

Gen. Lee got a little backup from a new weather predicting friend in South Georgia. At Albany's Chehaw State Park, Asante, an African meerkat, also failed to see his shadow.

Gen. Lee’s prediction of an early spring was a no-brainer after the warm weather that has graced metro Atlanta for most of the winter so far.

Since the Dec. 22 winter solstice, Atlanta’s average temperature has been above normal on 34 days, exactly normal on two days and below normal on only six days, according to the National Weather Service.

The warmest day so far this winter was Jan. 26, when afternoon temperatures reached 71 degrees. The average temperature that day was a whopping 18 degrees warmer than normal.

The mercury has dropped below freezing on only nine days, the coldest being on Jan. 3 and 4, when lows hit 22 degrees.

Atlanta’s weather will continue to be warmer than normal into next week, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton.

Highs will be in the upper 60s on Thursday and mid-60s on Friday, Minton said, but there’s a chance of more rain over the weekend.

Minton is forecasting a 60 percent chance of rain on Saturday, diminishing to 30 percent on Sunday and Monday. Highs will be in the mid-50s on Saturday, warming back up to the low 60s Sunday and Monday.

Overnight lows will continue to run about 10 to 15 degrees warmer than normal, bottoming out in the mid-40s to low 50s.

[Rick]

[artist4perry]

True that!

I wonder who thought it would be a great idea to get a cranky rodent drag it out of a hole and make it endure all this hoopla.

I bet the two groundhogs, Phil and General Lee are both spoiled rotten though, so if nothing else, they have it made.

[artist4perry]

[artist4perry]

[G.I.Jim]

How true.

[Monker]

Don't put coats away? It's been so warm here this "winter", that I never took mine out.

Groundhog Day 2012: How groundhogs stack up against Mother Nature
February 2, 2012

http://youtu.be/JE0gddpeGnY



Groundhog_Day_fans
Groundhog Day 2012 hoopla is tickling the nation. Maybe it's a sign of too much technology in our lives or of boredom with the upcoming election, but Americans really seem to be getting a kick out of the quaint and quirky tradition of letting a groundhog predict the weather.

How else to explain why thousands of people showed up on this cold and dark winter's morning at Gobblers Knob -- seriously, it's called Gobblers Knob -- in Punxsutawney, Pa., to see whether Punxsutawney Phil would catch a glimpse of his shadow? And why "Groundhog Day" stories are setting the Web on fire, with no less than six of the Top 10 most frequently searched terms on Google relating in some way shape or form to prognosticating groundhogs?

But, come on, people, it can't all be butterflies and rainbows and groundhogs. We have to ask: Can groundhogs really predict what Mother Nature has in store?

The U.S. National Climatic Data Center says that the answer is "no."

"It really isn't a 'bright' idea to take a measure such as a groundhog's shadow and use it as a predictive meteorological tool for the entire United States," the center says on its website.

(Sounds like some folks are jealous that thousands of people aren't showing up outside their door each day to cheer them on while they're doing their jobs.)

The service went all the way back to 1988 and compared Punxsutawney Phil's predictions with actual weather temperatures. The folks there then put all the data into a nifty chart -- and found little to no correlation.

"The table shows no predictive skill for the groundhog during the most recent years of this analysis," according to the center.

(Sounds like some folks are awfully defensive, too).

Groundhog Day and its traditions are said to come from Europe, dating back to a time when people closely watched the comings and goings of animals for signs of the future. Groundhog legend has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day -- Feb. 2 -- winter weather will drag on for another six weeks. If no shadow appears, an early spring is on the way.

[artist4perry]

Don't put coats away? It's been so warm here this "winter", that I never took mine out.

Groundhog Day 2012: How groundhogs stack up against Mother Nature
February 2, 2012

http://youtu.be/JE0gddpeGnY



Groundhog_Day_fans
Groundhog Day 2012 hoopla is tickling the nation. Maybe it's a sign of too much technology in our lives or of boredom with the upcoming election, but Americans really seem to be getting a kick out of the quaint and quirky tradition of letting a groundhog predict the weather.

How else to explain why thousands of people showed up on this cold and dark winter's morning at Gobblers Knob -- seriously, it's called Gobblers Knob -- in Punxsutawney, Pa., to see whether Punxsutawney Phil would catch a glimpse of his shadow? And why "Groundhog Day" stories are setting the Web on fire, with no less than six of the Top 10 most frequently searched terms on Google relating in some way shape or form to prognosticating groundhogs?

But, come on, people, it can't all be butterflies and rainbows and groundhogs. We have to ask: Can groundhogs really predict what Mother Nature has in store?

The U.S. National Climatic Data Center says that the answer is "no."

"It really isn't a 'bright' idea to take a measure such as a groundhog's shadow and use it as a predictive meteorological tool for the entire United States," the center says on its website.

(Sounds like some folks are jealous that thousands of people aren't showing up outside their door each day to cheer them on while they're doing their jobs.)

The service went all the way back to 1988 and compared Punxsutawney Phil's predictions with actual weather temperatures. The folks there then put all the data into a nifty chart -- and found little to no correlation.

"The table shows no predictive skill for the groundhog during the most recent years of this analysis," according to the center.

(Sounds like some folks are awfully defensive, too).

Groundhog Day and its traditions are said to come from Europe, dating back to a time when people closely watched the comings and goings of animals for signs of the future. Groundhog legend has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day -- Feb. 2 -- winter weather will drag on for another six weeks. If no shadow appears, an early spring is on the way.

That was the prediction of the Phil. I believe more that General Lee is right in Georgia, this is going to be a mild winter.

[Yoda]

I think I can deal with six more weeks of 65 degree weather!