Well, I think the groundhog could have taken a vacation this year.  The Winter across the country has been incredibly mild as you well know.  There is a big system developing today out west towards Colorado, but this by no means will make for a bad Winter.  So even if the various groundhogs around the country say that there is another 6 weeks of Winter, then that’s no big deal.  I will be at the Virginia Living Museum at noon today to talk to their groundhog.  My bet is that there won’t be a shadow.

Speaking of warmth.  We started this morning with temperatures in the mid 50s.  This is well above the average low which is 33 for this time of year.  We had widespread showers across the region:

Super Doppler 10 Radar (5:30am)

We are calling for showers for the first half of today.  This will be out ahead of a cold front that will make it’s way through early this afternoon.  Before the front gets here temperatures will rise up to the upper 50s to near 60.  Then temps will quickly drop off this evening to the low 50s.

Tonight we’ll have clearing skies and the temperatures will drop to the upper 30s.  Tomorrow the winds will be out of the north.  So despite lots of sunshine highs will only be in the upper 40s to near 50.

The weekend looks split at this time.  Saturday looks good with mostly sunny skies and highs in the low/mid 50s.  On Sunday some showers will move in, but the models have not been consistent with them.  The recent morning run of the GFS model hardly has any rain for Sunday now.  The NAM has a few showers early, but a drier afternoon.  The models should start to agree on a forecast as we get closer to the weekend.  There are no arctic blasts expected in the next 10 days.  If we do get one in late February, then I don’t know how the blooming plants and trees will fare.  Maybe the groundhog knows…..

Meteorologist: Jeremy Wheeler