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A few years ago, the Farmers’ Almanac TV crew headed to Punxsutawney, Pa., for the annual Groundhog Day festivities at Gobbler’s Knob. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the oldest and biggest Groundhog Day celebration in North America.

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A Month Ago Today . . .

It was Christmas. It’s hard to believe that it was 4 weeks ago already, isn’t it? I thought the weeks leading up to Christmas went by fast, but January seems to be rolling along at the same breakneak speed.

We are now officially one month and a few days into winter of 2012. We are 25 days into the New Year, and looking ahead to February. Next week is one our favorite holidays …no not the Super Bowl but Groundhog Day. We thoroughly enjoy the fanfare and fun this rodent creates in a high-tech, 21st century world. This winter’s weather has been a bit odd to say the least, so I’m eagerly awaiting what this famous groundhog may “predict” as he is coaxed, or more likely grabbed out of his warm, dark home.

Has this month gone by fast for you? Or do you tend to hibernate in the winter, counting the days until spring makes its appearance? I prefer to stay active in the winter, heading outdoors whenever it’s not too cold, and take advantage of any snowy days that come my way. But I must admit, by March, I’m ready for the snow to leave and warmer days to come.

What are your predictions? Do you think winter will make a come back on the East Coast and give the West Coast a bit of a break? Or will the groundhog not see his shadow, which means spring supposedly will come early?

Give us your predictions and thoughts, and then check out what we’re predicting and stay tuned for more fun, facts and trivia about Groundhog Day.

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No, we’re not beginning a new science fiction series on our website, and you didn’t fall asleep for 2,700 years. January 23, 2012, is Chinese New Year, which means today marks the first day of the 4,710th year of the Chinese calendar.

Chinese New Year is the most important celebration in traditional Chinese culture. It begins during the new Moon of the lunar month of Zhēngyuè, which generally falls a month or so after the western New Year. The celebration itself can last for weeks, and incorporates many traditions, including fireworks, special foods, dragon and/or lion dances, gifts, rituals such as sweeping out one’s home, and more.

Each new year is named for one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, and children born during those years are said to possess some of the qualities of that year’s totem. This year will be the Year of the Dragon, a legendary creature associated with high energy, optimism, and prosperity. Dragon years are considered auspicious.

Here’s hoping that proves to be true this year. Happy New Year!

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Ok I must admit. I’m missing snow this winter. But then again, I’m happy that our predictions in the Farmers’ Almanac have been so accurate, especially here in the Mid-Atlantic Sates.

Each year as we work on finalizing the details and long-range outlook for the winter ahead, I feel privileged to know ahead of time what the weather is going to be like. Last spring when I read Caleb’s outlook for above normal temperatures and more wet than white, I got a little bummed. I’m all for a slightly warmer winter (better for the oil bill), but a lack of the white (snow) stuff is a little disappointing. The only thing worse for me is when we summarize the summer as damp and cool. (Fortunately we did not for this summer ahead!)

Here in New Jersey, we haven’t seen any measurable snow since October 31 (which was odd in and of itself). In Lewiston, Maine, the Farmers’ Almanac’s headquarters, they had snow for all of the major holidays — Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but it didn’t last long on the ground, thanks to the slightly warmer temperatures predicted in the Almanac. In Maine, the Almanac did call for snowy conditions, and to date Lewiston, has had more snow this winter than average. Yet I bet everyone on the East Coast would agree – it’s a weird winter.

But I must be patient. February is coming quickly and the Farmers’ Almanac does finally mention some snow for the Northeast. So maybe my dreams of white will come true then.

How has the winter been in your backyard? Wild, wet, weird? We must remember that winter is still young – not even a month old yet, so there is plenty of time for the wet stuff to turn white and cover driveways and roadways making them tricky to drive on. I just am looking forward to making my first snowman of 2012.

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Today is the first of the three Friday the 13ths this year. Many believe that 13, especially when combined with a Friday, means for a very unlucky day.  But did you ever wonder why?

Jaime McLeod, our web editor, did some undercover work and discovered that the reasons aren’t entirely clear. It seems that fear of the number 13 has been so prevalent throughout history that the Greeks even had a special word for it – “triskaidekaphobia.” Fear of Friday the 13th has an even longer name, paraskevidekatriaphobia, or sometimes friggatriskaidekaphobia.

To this day, many people believe it’s bad luck to sit at a table set for 13, a belief that may have gotten its start among the ancient Hindus. Here in the west, this idea was reinforced by the story of the Last Supper, when Jesus announced one of his 12 disciples would betray him. In many communities with numbered streets, 13th street gets skipped. Likewise, there is no 13th floor many high-rise buildings, and in many airplanes there’s no row 13. And in some towns, there are no houses with the number 13. The idea that Friday is an unlucky day of the week is less widespread. This superstition is more recent and likely stems from the tradition that says Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

It’s funny how superstitions like these are started and continued indefinitely. Think about the other superstitions that are supposed to bring you bad luck:

• Breaking a mirror
• Spilling salt
• Walking under a ladder
• Stepping on a crack in the sidewalk (especially for moms)

What others have you heard? And do you worry about Friday the 13th?

Personally I am kind of fond of Friday the 13ths as I was born on one. If you are a little concerned about your luck this Friday the 13, (or if you want to have a little fun with kids or co-workers) be sure to check out our tips on what to do to improve your luck this Friday the 13 (and the next one in April and then July).

Happy, lucky Friday the 13th to you.

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We don’t tend to focus on lightning safety at this time of the year. But, as we look back on 2011, there is some positive news to report. John Jensenius and his colleagues at the National Weather Service have been actively educating the public about the hazards of lightning and resulting deaths. Over the past 40 years, there has been a dramatic decline in lighting fatalities with 2011 recording an all-time low – 26 deaths throughout the U.S. and territories. The previous low occurred in 2008 when 28 people died. In the 1970s and 1980s, we would have expected upwards of 75 deaths per year. This decrease is dramatic, and really a credit to the hard-working people at the National Weather Service!

Many other organizations are also working to spread the safety message. This is an incredible decline, and education has been at the heart of keeping us all safer. During lightning season, we’ve also made it a practice to share important steps about how to be safe. The 2011 stats are still being pulled together but let me share an interesting visual about what happened in 2008.

States colored yellow had no fatalities at all, while the states colored red or light purple saw only one or two. Colorado and Florida had the most lightning strikes, and yet only four people were hit in each state that year. It’s especially encouraging to see that large population centers such as California and New York did not have any lightning fatalities.

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Flowers, perhaps more than any other part of the natural world, are fascinating because of the many layers of meaning people have shrouded them in throughout history.

There is a whole sub-category of etiquette surrounding which flowers are appropriate to give at what times, and to whom. The unending rules surrounding something so simple as a flower can be dizzying.

Another aspect of flower lore concerns the designated flowers for each month of the year. January’s official flower is the carnation.

Carnations are a perennial herb native to the Mediterranean region. Carnation stems can grow to be at much as 30 inches tall, and the flowers are 2-3 inches wide with a large number of sweet smelling petals. Their natural color is a bright pinkish-purple, but other colors have been cultivated, including red, white, yellow, and green. Their formal name, dianthus, comes from Greek for “heavenly flower.”

Carnations are said to be primarily a symbol of love, though the meaning can differ depending on the color. In France, carnations are the traditional funeral flower, and are it is considered bad luck to give them for any other occasion.

The leaves of carnations were once mixed with wine to control fevers, while the flowers were believed to be an effective antidote some poisons. The plant was also once popularly used to add flavor to beer and wine.

One legend about the origin of carnations states that the plants sprang up from the tears of the Virgin Mary as she watched Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary. This is probably why pink carnations are, to this day, the symbol of motherly love.

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The world is Not going to End in 2012.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 years since we celebrated the year 2000, isn’t it? Similarly to 2000, with its Y2K scare, 2012 is a year for many speculations, rumors, and end of world prophecies. Supposedly, the world as we know it is going to end on December 21, 2012. How come? The origins of the prophecy seem to be as diverse as the sites on the Internet claiming different doomsday scenarios.

One popular theory attributes it to the ancient Mayans. Supposedly, the Mayan Calendar is scheduled to end on December 21, 2012 (the winter solstice, if our interpretations of Mayan calendars are correct). That isn’t true. This December may end a Mayan long-count period, but, just as other calendars continue after the end of a year, another Mayan long-count period will begin in January.

Another theory speculates that the planet Nibiru, supposedly discovered by the ancient Sumerians, is on a crash course towards earth. Originally, this planet was supposed to crash and burn in May 2003, but when that didn’t happen, the doomsday prophecies were changed to link the event to December 2012. Again, it’s not true.

The world will not end in December. That’s our prediction and we’re sticking by it. (After all, if we’re wrong, um who’s going to tell us… ?!)

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With 2011 just a memory, now seems like a good time to look back over the past year in weather. We predicted that 2011 would be a wild one, and that certainly came to pass. The past year’s weather was notable not just for its intensity, but also for the sheer number of different kinds of extreme weather we experienced.

The year started off with heavy snow, including a Groundhog Day blizzard that grounded thousands of airplanes, caused billions of dollars worth of damage, and left hundreds of motorists stranded on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive for hours in the freezing cold.

This wild winter then morphed into a very wet spring – just as we predicted – with numerous storms. We called for a very active tornado season, and that’s exactly what we got, with April bringing the nation’s worst tornado outbreak since 1974, and the single most deadly tornado in more than 60 years hitting Joplin Missouri in May.

All of that snow and storm water led to widespread flooding along the Mississippi River. The past year ranks alongside 1927 and 1993 as one of the worst of the past 100 years.

Unfortunately, while parts of the country were inundated with more water than they could handle, other areas experienced extreme drought conditions, which led to the widespread loss of crops and livestock, and to a series of wildfires that forced many from their homes.

As the year wound to a close, we saw the East Coast – and even inland areas such as Connecticut and Vermont – get battered by Hurricane Irene, a Halloween snow storm that crippled parts of the Mid Atlantic states and Southern New England, and a winter that has so far been unseasonably warm and mild.

What will the coming year bring? The La Niña that was partly responsible for last year’s wild weather is back. We’re expecting a very wet winter for many parts of the country, as well as another highly active tornado season.

Read our winter outlook to see what we’re predicting for your area.