Groundhogs in Canada called for an early spring. (Photo 38738126 © Brian Kushner | Dreamstime.com)

By Joanie Olson

Weather reality

The Myth and the Meteorologist: groundhog predicts early spring

Feb 2, 2021 | 2:18 PM

While Canada’s long held tradition relies on fun fury friends to tell us how long we have to wait for spring, we can also look to our meteorologists for a more scientific form of weather prediction.

The Groundhog Day ritual lands midway between winter solstice and spring equinox. In medieval Europe, legends say farmers believed that if hedgehogs emerged from their burrows to catch insects, it was a sure sign of an early spring. Later, when the ritual was introduced in Canada the groundhog was substituted for the hedgehog.

Canada’s most notorious weather predictor in Nova Scotia, Shubenacadie Sam, called for an early spring Tuesday. So did Wiarton Willie in Ontario and Fred la Marmotte in Quebec.

But according to meteorologist with Environment Canada, Terri Lang, an early spring may not be the case in Saskatchewan.

“It’s the beginning of February. You can bet that it’s going to be pretty wintery into March, so six weeks of winter is a pretty good bet whether the groundhog sees its shadow or not,” Lang said.

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After a relatively mild winter so far with temperatures above seasonal averages, February is looking to be colder than average based on what has been projected with weather patterns.

“We are starting out a little mild, but we will quickly be put towards seasonal values then into the really, really cold air this weekend,” she said.

That really cold air isn’t going to move any time soon.

“I don’t think we will be in the really, really cold air for a long period of time but I think it’s we are going to be running below average for a fair amount of time…at least into mid-week next week and see what happens beyond that,” Lang said.

Lang is encouraging people to prepare and dress accordingly because temperatures are expected to dip into those extreme cold values.

The good news is spring will eventually come and if our furry forecasters have their say, it will be here sooner than later.

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– With files from the Canadian Press

Joanie.Olson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow