GROUND HOG DAY

THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED ON GROUND HOG DAY WAS 59 DEGREES IN 1973.  THE LOWEST EVER WAS MINUS 16 IN 1961.  NORMALLY, THE HIGH AVERAGES ABOUT 30 DEGREES AND THE LOW TEMPERATURE AROUND 16.

THERE IS ABOUT AN 82 PERCENT CHANCE OF HAVING PRECIPITATION OF A TRACE OR MORE-- MOST LIKELY SNOW.  THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION RECORDED WAS 0.57 INCH IN 1990.  THE MOST SNOWFALL WAS 6.7 INCHES IN 1990.

IF THE GROUND HOG LIVED IN ROCHESTERINSTEAD OF PUNXSUTAWNEY, HE ONLY WOULD HAVE SEEN HIS SHADOW 8 TIMES IN THE PAST 68 YEARS.

IN 1976, A WIND STORM CARRYING WINDS WITH AN AVERAGE OF 26 MPH CAUSED BLOWING SNOW AND THE VISIBILITY WAS LOWERED.  THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THIS DAY WAS 15 AND THE LOW TEMPERATURE WAS -5.

IN 2001, THE 5-SEC WINS SPEED WAS 45 MPH. THESE WINDS CAUSED BLOWING SNOW AND THEY ALSO LOWERED THE VISIBILITY.

GROUND HOG DAY         FEBRUARY 2        PERIOD OF RECORD:  71 YEARS (1941‑2012)

TEMPERATURE DATA

HIGHEST       59 DEGREES IN 1973

LOWEST       ‑16 DEGREES IN 1961

LOWEST MAXIMUM        7 DEGREES IN 1971

HIGHEST MINIMUM      41 DEGREES IN 1973

AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE        30.8 DEGREES

AVERAGE LOW TEMPERATURE         16.1 DEGREES

          HIGH TEMPERATURE BY 10 DEGREE RANGES

            SINGLE

            DIGITS   TEENS   20S   30S   40S   50S

                 1           10       21    26      11       3     NUMBER OF OCCURRANCES

               1%         14%     30%  37%   15%   4%

PRECIPITATION DATA

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH MEASURABLE PRECIP                                 43 OCCURRENCES OR 66%

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH TRACE OR MORE PRECIP                            59 OCCURRENCES OR 83%

NUMBER OF TIMES WITH NO PRECIP                                                   13 OCCURRENCES OR 18%

PRECIPITATION OF:                 0.01 INCH OR MORE      43 OCCURRENCES

                                                0.50 INCH OR MORE     1 OCCURRENCES

SNOW DATA:      NUMBER OF TIMES WITH A TRACE OR MORE   53

                NUMBER OF TIMES OVER A TRACE                    37

                NUMBER OF TIMES WITH 1.0 OR MORE             16

MAXIMUM PRECIP:    0.57 INCH IN 1990

MAXIMUM SNOWFALL:   6.7 INCHES IN 1990

CHARACTER OF SUNRISE...CLOUDY 60 OUT OF 71 YEARS

                       SHADOW WOULD ONLY HAVE BEEN SEEN 8 TIMES IN 71 YEARS

 
                                                                        GROUND HOG DAY

      CHARACTER OF

YEAR   HI                                             LO        PRECIP            SUNRISE                                              SHADOW?

1941                                                     35         22         .03/0.3              CLOUDY

1942                                                     12         6          TR/TR               CLOUDY

1943                                                     25         13         .01/0.2              CLOUDY

1944                                                     31         20         TR/TR               PARTLY CLOUDY

1945                                                     18         14         .03/0.3              MOSTLY CLOUDY

1946                                                     33         14         .10/1.1              CLOUDY

1947                                                     27         16         .03/.6                CLOUDY

1948                                                     33         11         0.01/0.1            CLOUDY

1949                                                     24         8          0.0/0.0              CLEAR, SUNNY                                                YES

1950                                                     38         26         TR/TR               CLOUDY

1951                                                     14         1          .01/.1                PARTLY CLOUDY        

1952                                                     44         35         TR/0.0               CLOUDY

1953                                                     22         8          .24/2.9              CLOUDY

1954                                                     40         32         .01/TR               CLOUDY

1955                                                     15         0          .01/1.4              CLOUDY

1956                                                     35         24         .17/1.7              CLOUDY

1957                                                     29         15         TR/0.1               CLEAR, SUNNY                                                YES

1958                                                     28         17         .02/1.3              CLOUDY

1959                                                     15         -1         TR/TR               MOSTLY SUNNY                                               YES

1960                                                     20         12         .03/2.3              MOSTLY CLOUDY       

1961                                                     10         -16        TR/0.2               CLOUDY

1962                                                     23         -7         TR/TR               PARTLY CLOUDY

1963                                                     38         23         .43/0.0              CLOUDY

1964                                                     36         18         .07/1.3              MOSTLY CLOUDY

1965                                                     23         11         TR/.4                BLOWING SNOW, AVG WIND SPEED 17.8 MPH,

                                                                                                            CLOUDY

1966                                                     30         18         .05/1.1              CLOUDY

1967                                                     36         17         .30/4.6              HAZE, CLOUDY

1968                                                     49         32         .02/TR               FOG, CLOUDY

1969                                                     38         31         0.0/0.0              HAZE, MOSTLY CLOUDY

1970     47         34         .10/0.0              CLOUDY

1971                                                     7          2          TR/.2                BLOWING SNOW,

AVG WIND SPEED 21MPH, SUNNY                  YES

1972                                                     35         22         0.0/0.0              HAZE, CLOUDY

1973                                                     59         41         .06/TR               CLOUDY

1974                                                     17         12         .14/3.9              CLOUDY

1975                                                     28         10         TR/TR               FOG, HAZE, CLOUDY

1976                                                     15         -5         .06/1.3              BLOWING SNOW, AVG WIND SPEED 26MPH,

                                                                                                            CLOUDY

1977                                                     26         17         .04/1.1              CLOUDY

1978                                                     25         15         .05/.5                FOG, HAZE, CLOUDY

1979                                                     21         9          .03/.8                BLOWING SNOW, AVG WIND SPEED 15.4 MPH,

                                                                                                            MOSTLY CLOUDY

GROUND HOG DAY

      CHARACTER OF

YEAR   HI                                             LO        PRECIP            SUNRISE                                                           SHADOW?

1980                                                     12         3          TR/TR               SUNNY, BLOWING SNOW,                                YES

                                                                                                            AVG WIND SPEED 17.5MPH

1981                                                     39         14         .02/.4                BLOWING SNOW, FASTEST WIND SPEED

                                                                                                            37MPH, CLOUDY

1982                                                     36         1          0.0/0.0              PARTLY CLOUDY

1983                                                     50         29         .36/0.0              FOG, CLOUDY

1984     40         7          0.0/0.0              HAZE, CLOUDY

1985                                                     23         13         0.12/3.7            CLOUDY

1986                                                     40         25         0.03/TR             FOG, GLAZE, CLOUDY

1987                                                     38         34         0.0/0.0              FOG, CLOUDY

1988                                                     34         22         0.17/0.7            FOG, GLAZE, CLOUDY

1989                                                     25         18         0.03/0.3            FOG, ICE PELLETS, GLAZE, CLOUDY

1990                                                     41         17         0.57/6.7            FOG, CLOUDY

1991                                                     46         17         0.0/0.0              MOSTLY SUNNY                                               YES

1992                                                     27         13         TR/0.1               MOSTLY CLOUDY

1993                                                     25         0          TR/TR               PARTLY CLOUDY

1994                                                     21         2          0.0/0.0              SUNNY, CLEAR                                                YES

1995                                                     32         12         0.04/0.9            MOSTLY CLOUDY                   

1996                                                     13         5          0.01/0.3            CLOUDY

1997                                                     42         25         0.0/0.0              CLOUDY

1998                                                     47         32         0.0/0.0              SCATTERED CLOUDS

1999                                                     45         34         0.17/0.0            CLOUDY

2000     21         13         0.09/2.0            CLOUDY

2001                             35         20         0.05/0.8            BLOWING SNOW, MIST, 5-SEC WIND

                                                                                    SPEED 45 MPH, CLOUDY

2002                                                     30         20         TR/TR               CLOUDY

2003                                                     35         33         TR/TR               CLOUDY

2004                                                     31         4          0.0/0.0              PARTLY SUNNY                                               YES

2005                                                     34         2          0.0/0.0              FREEZING FOG, HAZE, MIST, CLOUDY

2006                                                     54         37         0.08/0.0            CLOUDY          

2007                                                     32         20         0.04/1.0            CLOUDY

2008     34         31         0.03/0.3            CLOUDY

2009     38         16         0.0/0.0              MOSTLY CLOUDY

2010     28         14         0.01/0.3            LIGHT SNOW   

2011     29         17         0.49/MM           SNOW 

2012     37         30         0.02/MM           LIGHT SNOW