Tracking a Winter Storm; Unusual Early-Season Heat Wave in the Southwest

A major winter storm will organize across the Northern Plains today and then rapidly strengthen as it moves into the Great Lakes on Sunday. Heavy snow and blowing snow are likely to persist over the Great Lakes into Monday night. Dry and gusty winds will produce a critical fire risk across the central/southern Plains. An early heatwave will begin to intensify over the western U.S. into next week. Read More >

Ground Hog's Day

PERIOD OF RECORD: 156 YEARS (1871 - 2026)

Ground Hog's Day is celebrated on the 2nd day of February. According to folklore, if the ground hog sees its shadow, winter will persist for 6 more weeks. If the ground hog does not see its shadow, then Spring will come early.

The highest temperature ever recorded on Ground Hog's Day is 57°F degrees in 1973. The lowest the mercury has ever fallen to on Ground Hog's Day is -20°F in 1961. Normally, the high temperature averages 32°F degrees and the low 18°F degrees on Ground Hog's Day.

The greatest snowfall on Ground Hog's Day came in 2015 when a synoptic storm dropped a foot of snow across Western New York on the 1st - 2nd, with 8.2 inches falling on the 2nd.

Temperature (F) Data

Highest	57	1973
Lowest	-20	1961
Highest Minimum	39	1973
Lowest Maximum	5	1881
Average High	32
Average Low	18

HIGH TEMPERATURE (F) BY 10 DEGREE RANGES

(since 1944; 83 years)

	Single Digits	Teens	20s	30s	40s	50s
Number of occurrences	2	11	24	29	14	3
Percentage	2%	13%	29%	35%	17%	4%

Single

Digits

Teens

20s

30s

40s

50s

Number of occurrences

Percentage

13%

29%

35%

17%

Precipitation Data Snow Data

(since 1944; 83 years) (since 1944; 83 years)

Number of times 0.01" or greater:	49	Number of times 0.1" or greater:	41
Number of times 0.10" or greater:	23	Number of times 1.0" or greater:	17
Number of times 0.50" or greater:	3	Number of times 3.0" or greater:	6
		Number of times 6.0" or greater:	4

Precipitation Records

Greatest Snow	8.2"	2015
Greatest Precipitation	0.81"	1990

Almanac Data for Recent Ground Hog Day's

Year	High	Low	Precip	Snow
1980	15	4	0.03	0.3
1981	40	16	0.18	0.7
1982	36	9	0.00	0
1983	54	29	0.51	0.0
1984	47	16	0.00	0.0

1985	20	8	0.05	1.2
1986	40	26	0.04	T
1987	37	32	T	T
1988	33	23	0.21	0.5
1989	27	18	0.04	0.1

1990	40	17	0.81	7.1
1991	44	27	0.00	0.0
1992	29	14	T	T
1993	25	5	T	T
1994	26	5	T	T

1995	29	11	T	T
1996	13	3	T	0.1
1997	37	30	0.07	T
1998	46	32	0.00	0.0
1999	44	36	0.18	0.0

2000	22	11	T	0.1
2001	33	18	0.18	1.7
2002	30	22	T	T
2003	35	31	0.01	T
2004	37	6	0.00	0.0

2005	36	8	0.00	0.0
2006	49	36	0.06	0.0
2007	28	14	0.11	1.4
2008	33	30	0.02	0.2
2009	32	21	0.00	0.0

2010	29	11	0.02	0.2
2011	26	15	0.41	6.7
2012	36	31	T	T
2013	19	13	0.27	7.8
2014	37	24	0.20	0.5

2015	15	3	0.42	8.2
2016	44	30	0.04	0.0
2017	31	19	T	T
2018	19	9	0.03	2.0
2019	38	3	0.00	0.0

2020	36	31	0.26	1.4
2021	31	18	0.19	1.4
2022	46	32	0.43	0.9
2023	35	18	T	T
2024	37	33	0.02	T

2025	33	7	0.11	1.0
2026	22	4	T	T
2027
2028
2029