Weather

Groundhog Day: to shadow or not to shadow? Trends one way!

By Irene Sans, WFTV.com
By Irene Sans, WFTV.com
Groundhog Day dates back to 1887. It was the first time the weather guru rodent was celebrated at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Although the myth is greatly dependent on weather conditions, many still gather around Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney to wait for the famous Marmota monax, as it is scientifically known, to deliver the season’s weather news.
If Phil, the groundhog, emerges from his hole and sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of cold weather. No shadow means an early spring. 
Last year, Phil saw his shadow, and in its history, he has only failed to see his shadow 18 times. 
Although Phil does not have any scientific background (except if we were to count the weather conditions that play into him seeing his shadow or not), he's on par with the warming temperature trend. Out of the 18 times the groundhog has predicted an early Spring, or not seen his shadow, 13 of them have occurred since 1970.

>> Día de la marmota: sombra o no, va con la tendencia <<

Regardless of the outcome, the temperature trend is upward across the world. In Orlando, during the following six weeks after February 2, temperatures have increased by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950. 
In fact, winter is the fastest warming season, as a whole, across much of the eastern half of the U.S. 
Read more: Florida's winters are warming faster than any other season
Many might be happy for a shorter winter, but a shorter winter means that plants bloom earlier. Earlier blooms increase bug activity and the faster spread of disease. If there are not enough cold snaps or freezing temperatures to reduce the plague, then this just becomes a bigger issue (at times lethal) in the spring, especially with airborne diseases such as Zika. 
Last year's winter ended with 46 days in the 80s. On average, Orlando experiences about 24 days during the winter season. There were only seven days during the winter with high temperatures below 70. 

WATCH MORE WEATHER FACTS AND HACKS

TheCentral Florida 2017-2018 winter has had more pronounced temperatures fluctuation compared to last year. We will have to wait until March 1 (when the meteorological spring starts) to tally up the temperatures and see how we ranked compared to the average. 

Cox Media Group

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