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Re: UPDATED CFS WINTER OUTLOOK!
These maps are monthly 500mb charts....
Groundhog vs. Farmers' Almanac:
Don’t put away those heavy coats just yet! The Farmers’ Almanac predicts that when America’s favorite furry prognosticator, Punxsutawney Phil, pops his head out of his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob this Saturday morning, he’ll turn around and head right back in again!
Farmers’ Almanac weather forecasts for the month of February predict fierce periods of cold and snow will continue to grip much of the country before the sun shows its face again.
Most regions can expect a sharp cold front to move in and linger over the next several weeks, with more snowfall expected to coat New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Great Lakes and Plains, the Northern Rockies, and even some Southeastern states throughout the month of February. March should continue to be unsettled, with lesser amounts of snow accumulation building up through early part of the month.
After the Farmers’ Almanac, the groundhog is possibly North America’s most well-know weather forecaster. But how did he get his start? An ancient Celtic prophecy foretells that sunny weather on February 2, known in the Middle Ages as “Candlemas,” heralds a long winter. Medieval folk relied on hedgehogs to predict the coming of spring, while early American settlers found the local groundhogs more accessible.
The tradition is recounted in this old Scottish poem:
As the light grows longer,The cold grows stronger.
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
If Candlemas be cloud and snow,
Winter will be gone and not come again.
A farmer should on Candlemas day,
Have half his corn and half his hay.
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop,
You can be sure of a good pea crop.
America’s oldest Groundhog Day celebration has occurred annually in Punxsutawney, Pa., since 1887. He has seen his shadow 96 times, and foretold an early spring only 15 times in more than 120 years, the last time in 2007. Members of Phil’s “Inner Circle” claim his predictions are 100 percent accurate. (Watch Farmers' Almanac TV's exclusive video of this famous celebration.)
Besides Phil, a number of less famous groundhogs hold court at celebrations across North America, they include Wiarton Willie in Wiarton, Ontario, Staten Island Chuck in New York City, General Beauregard Lee in Atlanta, Ga., Malverne Mel and Melissa in Malverne, N.Y., Brandon Bob of Brandon, Manitoba, Balzac Billy of Balzac, Alberta, Shubenacadie Sam of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, Gary the Groundhog of Kleinburg, Ontario, Spanish Joe of Spanish, Ontario, Sir Walter Wally of Raleigh, N.C., Pardon Me Pete of Tampa, Fl., Jimmy the Groundhog of Sun Prairie, Wisc., and Octoraro Orphie of Quarryville, Pa.
