Well Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning. But Staten Island Chuck did not.
So which is right, are we in for 6 more weeks of winter? Do you belive that a groundhog
can predicte the end of winter. All I know I'm not putting my winter stuff away yet

Gosh, I hope we are. I prefer the winter to the 105 degree summers.

Winter fades in fits and starts rather than ending on a single date.

The city quits maintaining its outdoor ice rinks after about mid February. Sometime in March we'll get a big thaw after which most of the snow will be gone. We'll still get snow storms but the snow will stick around for a fews days at most rather than weeks or months.

In April the city starts cleaning the streets and my road bike gets to come out of hibernation. The ice will disappear off the lakes, and the ground will start greening up. We'll have some 70 and 80 degree weather followed by another snow storm.

We've had a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt for the last 8 years or so. Sometimes the kids are in snow suits and sometimes they're in shorts.

Makes no difference to me. Around here, we have four seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and July.

So whenever Winter ends, Still Winter begins. And after that it's July.

Doesn't matter either way. All seasons have their pluses and minuses.

I say we fry Punxsutawney Phil in butter. Same with Wiarton Willy and any other marmota monax who suggested there is 6 more weeks of winter. I'm still riding but I miss the colours of spring, summer and fall. Winter is just shades of grey and not even nice ones like in an Ansel Adams photo. More like salt white and dingy grey. Good thing I wear rose coloured shades/goggles otherwise winter would look even worse.

Wow.

Well, it snowed yesterday here to freshen things up and now the sun is out so it's purtty enough. I don't start getting really tired of winter until March. March is the most useless month on the calendar for outdoor activities. I think it might be the month that most resembles what winter is like in slightly warmer parts of North America.

It's such a silly tradition. 6 more weeks of winter is an early spring, so apparently it's good news either way.

Yeah, I never figured out Groundhog day. Seriously, even 6 weeks after groundhog day it wouldn't be at all surprising to see 10*F days and tons of snow coming down. If winter ever "stopped" anywhere near groundhog day, it'd be the shortest winter on record.

Or maybe Groundhog day was thought up in Georgia or something.

https://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-02-02