February 2nd Omens – Spring Is On Its Way

If you don't like the weather here in Chicago, just hang around a little bit.

We've had some amazing weather – even hitting alltime records for warm weather in January – this last week. In fact it was beginning to look like winter had decided to just pass by the Windy City this year and that we'd just slip from Autumn to Spring this year..

And then came GroundHog Day. Traditionally those of us who enjoy old wives tales look to this day to help boost our morale. Most winters about this time we're enduring sub-zero weather and knowing that the groundhog making an appearance on February 2nd could – just maybe – encourage us with news of an early spring. No sunshine, is interpreted to mean that we're going to have an early Spring and the bitter cold just doesn't seem quite so cold any more. (Of course, if the sun shines when  the groundhog pops his head out and sees his shadow, we know to hunker down for a longer than usual winter. And the chances either way are about 50/50.)

Whelp!  There was no shadow for the groundhog here in Chicago this year. But I wonder if the groundhog might have been a little bit confused this time. While there was no sun, there was plenty of snow. Heck today we had more snow than we've seen all winter…and there's more to come if the meteorologists have it right. So what, do you suppose? Did the overcast day convince the groundhog that Spring will be early this year? Or do you suppose that the sudden appearance of snow leave some doubt? Perhaps, the winter was just a a mite late this year? Will the groundhog go back and hibernate a bit more in deference to the newly arrived winter weather?

Seriously, no matter how we interpret this year's omens, Spring is on its way and will be arriving as usual on March 20th.