An Early Spring ... With More Snow

So for those of you who are not from the Northeast region of the United States, we have this whack-a-doodle thing we do to determine when our spring season is going to start. Now we very much still follow the farmers' almanac and the actual spring solstice and all that good stuff, but we like to have fun with guessing what the weather is going to be like too. 

Pennsylvania specifically has a groundhog that we rip out of his home to determine what the weather is going to be like. No, not 'Gus' the PA lottery groundhog. I am talking about Punxsutawney Phil. For those looking at the word and baffled at how you may pronounce it, punk-saw-ta-knee; that is the easiest way to explain it. I believe it was a native American tribe at one point in time. 

Anyway, every year at the start of February, we pull this poor guy out of his little hidey hole and present him to a crowd of people who are trying to find out if they are going to have to deal with six more weeks of 'brutal' winter cold or if they can start prepping for an early spring. Technically speaking, if Phil sees his shadow and runs back into his dirt house, that is supposed to be a sign that there is more winter to come because he goes back into hibernation. Alternatively, if he does not see his shadow, then there will be an early spring for the season. 

I never understood that logic though. If the sun is out and he sees his shadow wouldn't that imply that the sun is going to be out to warm the world sooner and cause spring to be here sooner? Not to mention it has turned into such a big hoopla lately that there are so many people and cameras with flash on that he almost always sees his shadow anymore... Maybe I am just thinking too far into it. 

Regardless, he did not see his shadow this year, which is suppose to mean an early spring and then we just got like four inches of snow last night! It is mostly melted now though and honestly it was kind of pretty to look at. I guess seasons happen as mother nature sees fit.