Groundhog Day in Wiarton

What is Groundhog Day? February 2nd is the midpoint between winter and spring, it is the day of The Purification of the Virgin Mary, the day to sweep out all your Christmas decorations and wrappers, a day to rejoice in the bounty that is ours, even in the dark depths of deepest mid-winter. The second of February is marked by Stonehenge, it was one of the four great festivals of the Celtic world, it is carved in the stars and celebrated world-wide as a good excuse to count the firewood (or check the air conditioners in Australia), and count our blessings and our friends. In our neighbourhood, Groundhog Day is all about street-hockey, curling, dances, jamborees and sing-a-longs, bone-china teas, pancake breakfasts ... in short, the biggest party of the year.

Oh ... it's also about getting a long range weather forecast from a rodent

legal disclaimer: Yes, there is another groundhog, a great and powerful marmot, who lives up here in the wild wilderness lands half-way between the equator and the north pole, and who probably knows more about the weather than anyone else around. Patent restrictions forbid us from telling his name or showing any stuff about him, but we can still lead you through the marvels of that mysterious myth we call Groundhog Day.

Click to listen to Barbara Ni Laighin talk about the history of St. Brigit's Day

Should you be headed to Wiarton and South Bruce Peninsula to take part in our annual mayhem and festivities, or if you just want to check the beach and boating conditions, here is the latest word from our marmot's good friend, the Environment Canada Weather Office:

Wiarton

Current Conditions

 

-2 ^°C

Observed at:

Wiarton Airport

Date:

3:00 AM EST Tuesday 6 January 2009

• Condition:

  Cloudy

   

  Pressure:

  101.4 kPa

   

  Tendency:

  falling

   

   

  Visibility:

  24 km

   

• Temperature:

  -1.9°C

   

  Dewpoint:

  -6.6°C

   

  Humidity:

  70 %

   

  Wind:

  W 22 gust 33 km/h

   

  Wind Chill:

  -8

   

•  

Forecast

 

Tonight

•  
• -4°C
•  

Tue

• -2°C
• -4°C
•  

Wed

• -1°C
• -4°C
•  

Thu

• -4°C
• -5°C
•  

Fri

• -4°C
• -12°C
• 60%

Historical Data

Yesterday

 

Max:

0.4°C

Min:

-6.1°C

Precip:

Trace

 

 

Normals

 

Max:

-2°C

Min:

-9°C

Today

 

Sunrise:

8:02

Sunset:

16:59