Published Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Whom do you believe? Phil, or Beau, or the weather pros?

Editorial

Tuesday was Groundhog Day, a winter's day when groundhogs come out of their resting place to forecast the weather. The story goes that if the groundhog sees his shadow, he retreats to his hiding place for another six weeks of wintry weather. If he does not see his shadow, it signals an early spring.

There are two groundhogs that get special attention in these parts -- Punxsutawney Phil, the Yankee hog from Pennsylvania, and Gen. Beauregard Lee, the Southern hog from the Stone Mountain area. On Tuesday we received mixed signals from the two furry creatures. Phil saw his shadow up north, meaning more winter. Gen. Beau did not see his shadow in the dreary, rainy skies over Georgia --signaling an early spring.

Georgians will pump their chests and boost that Beau knows, but does he?

We decided to see how Phil's and Beau's forecasts compared to some of the weather professionals that make long-range forecasts.

We don't claim the pros' forecast is any more accurate than the news from Phil and Beau. Remember, we are just the messenger.

Here's what Accu Weather forecasters said: "Spring could shape up to include an active storm track for the Southeast and a late start to spring throughout the eastern two thirds of the nation ... Early Spring -- March and April -- could bring severe weather to the South with an increased likelihood of tornadoes, damaging winds and thunderstorms from Texas to the Carolinas and Florida."

We're not sure Accu Weather cleared the air. After all, spring is always a time of active storms in the Southeast and a time when tornadoes and damaging winds are more common than other times of the year.

You can believe Phil, or Beau, or Accu Weather. But we suggest you keep the winter gear handy. The calendar says there are more than six weeks of winter.