2024 GROUNDHOG DAY RESULTS
Lucy The Lobster: Barrington Passage, N.S. – Six more weeks of winter
Shubenacadie Sam: Nova Scotia- Early spring
Fred La Marmotte: Quebec – Early spring
Wiarton Willie: Ontario – Early Spring
Manitoba Merv: Manitoba – Six more weeks of winter
Balzac Billy: Alberta – Six more weeks of winter
Punxsutawney Phil: Pennsylvania USA – Early Spring
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Today is the day we throw the science of predicting weather, to the birds and put our faith in a small furry rodent.
Groundhog Day has been a Canadian tradition since 1956 when Wiarton Willie became a household name.
2024 is no different, putting the answer to that question in the tiny hands of furry prognosticators across Canada and the U.S.
We turn to forecasting rodents to find out if we’re in for an early taste of spring, or if it will be better to hibernate through the next six weeks.
How did Groundhog Day start?
The tradition began as a part of the Christian celebration of Candlemas Day in Europe, which was first observed in A.D. 350.
To celebrate, Christians took their candles to church to have them blessed as a way to bring good fortune to their household for the remaining winter.
Then a hedgehog was brought into the mix.
If the animal saw his shadow on Candlemas Day there would be a Second Winter or 6 more weeks of bad weather.
Legend has it that if the groundhog sees its shadow, it goes back to sleep for six more weeks of winter.
If the weather is cloudy and the groundhog does not see its shadow, it stays outside, meaning that the worst of winter is over and spring will soon arrive.
Many communities in Canada keep up this tradition today.
Groundhog Day organizers maintain that the rodents’ predictions are accurate 75 to 90 per cent of the time.
However, Canadian meteorological data prove that the groundhogs’ success rate is quite low.
For results from the prognosticators across the country check here
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/seasonal/2024-groundhog-day-results-see-them-here
