Okay, I know Groundhog Day is over and that famous, and probably heavily sedated Philadelphia marmot with the unspellable first name saw his shadow and went back to bed. Same as any sensible person. We all know that Groundhog Day is February 2, but I bet if you asked a groundhog when it is, they would tell you that every day is Groundhog Day. Groundhogs are like that—always thinking about themselves and their own needs.
Speaking as someone with an entire colony of groundhogs living under my house, I can assure you that at this very moment, all my groundhogs are comfortably hibernating and have no interest in their own shadow or in predicting the onset of spring for us humans until such time as it’s nice and warm outside and there are good things to eat within easy reach. If anybody wants to know when the groundhog will see his shadow, I’ll tell you—when he darned well feels like it.
Obsessed with weather prognostication as we are, humans have always tried to enlist animals in our meteorological fixation. Supposedly the louder frogs croak, the sooner it’s going to rain. (Or more likely, the closer it is to mating season.) When squirrels build their nests up high, it means a harsh winter is coming. But squirrels are such alarmists—a falling maple leaf will send them dashing up a tree. The saying goes that when a cat washes behind its ears, rain is on the way. Or maybe it just has dirty ears.
As creatures that spend a lot of time in the atmosphere, birds are highly attuned to the weather. According to folklore, when birds fly high, weather will be clear. But when they fly closer to the ground, it means a storm is coming and they are avoiding the accompanying low pressure that causes them pain. Now we know when geese are honking low overhead, they are really saying, “Ow! Ow!”
It is said that when cows lie down in the field it’s a sign of rain and they are saving a dry spot. Personally, I have never noticed that cows are terribly particular about what they lie on–or step in. The main focus of their conscious existence is eating and if a cow makes the effort to lower its immense bulk to the ground, it is because it found some tasty morsel to munch on.
Other folk wisdom includes, “When sheep gather in a huddle, tomorrow will have a puddle.” And then there is, “When ladybugs
swarm, expect a day that’s warm.”
I once knew a grumpy old geezer named George who claimed his system for predicting the weather was 90 percent accurate.
“You want to know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow?” George growled. “It’s going to be just about like it is today.” And darned if he wasn’t right!
This year, The Farmer’s Almanac predicted winter in Eastern Iowa would be mild with lots of snow. And if you’re wondering why we’ve had practically no actual snow this winter, it’s because in October, I bought a new snow blower. You’re welcome.