Official - Six More Weeks of Winter

[PAULBACH]

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/groundhog.jpg
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – The world's most famous groundhog has seen his shadow which, legend has it, means this already long winter will last for six more weeks.

Punxsutawney (punx-suh-TAW'-nee) Phil's forecast was announced in front of thousands of revelers gathered at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. They gathered Monday morning in near freezing temperatures, with many revelers buoyed by the Super Bowl victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night.

German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter would last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.

Since 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 97 times, hasn't seen it 15 times, and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.
Oh Joy! :banghead

[robertklee]

PETA wouldn't like dude holding Phil like that...

:usa

[john1691]

Don't worry, he's wrong more often than right. It hit a high of 50 here yesterday,(opposite end of the state) perfect for a nice ride to lunch, other than the snow melt run off that helped provide a covering of grit/salt on my bike, but was easily washed off and well worth it for the riding!

Think Spring!

[RandallIsland]

I haven't turned on heat in my home all winter. Looks like A/C in 6 weeks. :D

[PAULBACH]

Don't worry, he's wrong more often than right. It hit a high of 50 here yesterday,(opposite end of the state) perfect for a nice ride to lunch, other than the snow melt run off that helped provide a covering of grit/salt on my bike, but was easily washed off and well worth it for the riding!

Think Spring!

That's good news

Phil hasn't turned on the heat either. I usually don't put much faith in Phil's forecasts but it seems as reliable as the weatherman's prediction of "Wintry Mix"

[EXR911]

This "groundhog day" baloney originated in Europe.

Early February is a time between the winter Solstice and the spring Equinox when the hedgehog in central Europe begins to come out of its burrow and forage. One of the early signs of spring. There are many other signs.

European settlers in the New World adopted the groundhog as the obvious "replacement species" for the hedgehog - no consideration being given to the climate differences between Europe and North America.

PT9766

[PAULBACH]

Another special event to speed February on its way. Maybe loop a couple of more days off February and add them to June and September. A miserable month will be shorter and two good months will be longer. ;)

[bubbagazoo]

6 more weeks of winter. What ever. I'm hoping the roads around here will be safe enough to ride on in 6 weeks. Or at least safe enough to bring my baby home. The bike has been sitting in one of those self store places since mid-November because we were pretty sure the roads would not be safe to move it to the new house (moved in on 19 December - the roads were not safe for riding). Was at the storage site 2 weeks ago and there was enough ice on the ground there that one could have played hockey.

[26667]

Here in Chicago we we have own groundhog....though we don't take him out till Memorial Day. :hide

[barryg]

Our groundhog has been hanging out with Micheal Phelps and was to hungover to come out in sun and see his shadow.

[Rod Sheridan]

This "groundhog day" baloney originated in Europe.

Early February is a time between the winter Solstice and the spring Equinox when the hedgehog in central Europe begins to come out of its burrow and forage. One of the early signs of spring. There are many other signs.

European settlers in the New World adopted the groundhog as the obvious "replacement species" for the hedgehog - no consideration being given to the climate differences between Europe and North America.

PT9766


Actually the groundhog was the third attempt at prognostication using a furry mammal.

The first involved a skunk, and resulted in the observer living in the garage for 6 weeks after attempting to pull the skunk from it's burrow.

The second was the wolverine, and resulted in 6 more weeks of anti-biotics and sutures after attempting to pull it from the den.

Since it's an old tradition, the skunk was rejected due to a lack of satelite TV and heat, the wolverine due to the lack of social medicine programs at the time.


Regards, Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

Another special event to speed February on its way. Maybe loop a couple of more days off February and add them to June and September. A miserable month will be shorter and two good months will be longer. ;)

Them's fighting words Paul!

Any month with my birthday in it has to be a good thing.:groovy


regards, Rod.

[PAULBACH]

Just trying to make it better and more appreciated. ;)

[Rod Sheridan]

Just trying to make it better and more appreciated. ;)

I should have guessed that you'd be working on an improvement!

Regards, Rod.

[108625]

Where's Bill Murray when you need him?

[OUTBACKUFO]

Did not even notice my shadow... it was playing catch up to me today.. got out on the GS for a good 40miles around the valley... got up to 40 in the sun... 25 in the shade... finally the nieghborhood roads melted completely out... got out 2 weeks ago.. but had to get back up a slight hill on ice and snow patches... but today was aBLUE BIRD CLEAR Colorado day.... :clap felt good with the cold air rushing around..

[henzilla]

Where's Bill Murray when you need him?

Didn't I already read this?:scratch :laugh :laugh :laugh

[PAULBACH]

From The Swamp: (http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/02/mayor_bloomberg_nipped_by_grou.html)
From the article:
I'm no groundhog expert but it seems like a patently bad idea to tease a groundhog the way New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg did today during a Groundhog Day event/photo op in Staten Island, NY.

From the video you can see, the mayor repeatedly trying to coax Chuck out of his little house with a piece of corn, snatching it back from the rodent in an attempt to lure him outside. And to think this man wanted to be president.

Anyway, the mayor's antics led to the groundhog biting the mayor's finger through His Honor's glove though it apparently wasn't a wicked, to-the-bone kind of bite. It happened so quickly you can barely see it and the mayor doesn't appear obviously distressed.

I don't know how good Chuck is in forecasting how much more winter remains. But we can now safely predict that if you come between a groundhog and his meal, you're cruising for a bruising.

And why is New York crowding in on little Punxsutawney, Pa's tradition to begin with?

I like the question at the end.

[tommcgee]

It's snowing now. ^$%@$%@ rodent!

[BONEY]

In that case the riding season will never end here in Kalifornia.

Submitted as proof that we have had a 10 inch deficit of rain in January alone, after 2 years of drought, and will likely run out of water this summer if we don't get a heavy amount of rain before spring:

Taken in the AM of January 29th:
http://tfogle.smugmug.com/photos/464067407_KNzmN-M.jpg

The 26th of January:
http://tfogle.smugmug.com/photos/462450320_5ngYg-M.jpg

The 9th of January:
http://tfogle.smugmug.com/photos/451926406_cFBGS-M-1.jpg

Late december/early January:
http://tfogle.smugmug.com/photos/450296799_6cScc-M.jpg

January 4th:
http://tfogle.smugmug.com/photos/449457279_ofXmL-M.jpg


BUT, the riding has been wonderful. I've put on better than 2,000 miles this month alone.:nyah (you can use that against me this summer when I complain that I'm paying more for water than I am for gas.)

[jdmetzger]

I didn't manage to ride at all in January (Should have rented a bike while I was in SoCal last week), but we've had a sort of heat wave here in Toledo. It got into the 50's today. All I had to do was chip a 1-foot wide section of ice out of the way at the base of the driveway (Actually in the street) so I could get onto the road. I didn't go TOO far, but it was nice getting out, again. I received lots of interesting looks from people while I was at stoplights. :D

The roads are pretty horrible, right now. Lots of potholes from ice heave and snowplows, plenty of salt still on the road, tons of gravel and stones in the middle of the lanes, and a whole bunch of standing water from the quickly melting snow - we've had quite an accumulation without any chance for a melt.

Just after getting home I think I heard a sportbike or two going by, though it may have just been a Civic with loud exhaust. Then again, maybe I motivated someone else to get out, today! :) Weather is looking good for the next few days where I can probably commute to work. Slight chance of rain, but that shouldn't stop me!

Did anyone else trapped in the North get out to ride?

http://www.jdmetzger.com/img/forum/febride1.jpg

[tourunigo]

... in a large down jacket and big ass boots smoking a fine cigar and sipping Scotch. 25 F but the sun is nice though fading fast. Can't get the shop door open because of ice so I can't even stare at the bikes so I sit here in the snow. Whooooosh! WTF? A Robin. Forget that damn rodent I'm going with the Robin. So it's official: Spring is coming soon. :clap -Bob

[John Brase]

GROUND HOG DAY: Observed February 2nd each year. A day set aside to celebrate the invention of sausage.