Groundhog Day is often considered the half-way point of winter. According to folklore, if the weather is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on February 2, then spring will come early that year. If it is sunny, the groundhog will see its shadow and head back inside – and winter will continue for another six weeks.
Regardless of what the Groundhogs sees this Thursday, we advise you stay prepared for another 6 weeks of winter. Despite the days getting pleasantly longer, we are still in an El Nino climate pattern. As such, we may see late season cold become part of our weather pattern thanks to the polar jet stream, as shown in this image from NOAA.