If the warm Georgia weather that is replacing the frigid cold of just a couple weeks ago has you thinking that maybe spring has arrived in our state – “think again” says Gen. Beauregard Lee (pictured).
Lee, the state’s official groundhog, emerged his burrow shortly after daybreak Sunday morning and, yes, saw his shadow, foretelling another six weeks of winter. And it was the same this Groundhog Day for Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil Sunday morning.
But if you’d rather hear about the current warming trend, here’s what a Sunday morning Facebook posting from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Peachtree City says: “The upcoming workweek will feel more like mid-April than early February, as high temperatures approach 20 degrees above seasonal averages! Feel free to enjoy or despise it based on your personal preferences.”
So, what specifically is NWS predicting over the next few days for Gainesville and vicinity:
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. East wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
Tonight
Patchy fog after 2am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 41. Calm wind.
Monday
Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph after midnight.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 73. West wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Wednesday
A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 72.
Wednesday Night
A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Friday
A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.
Friday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Saturday
A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64.
It’s expected to be even warmer in south Georgia where some places might reach the low 80s.
But the NWS concurs with the groundhogs, at least generally speaking, that more wintertime weather is not out of the question. Parts of Georgia, including the Gainesville area, have seen hard freezes as late as Easter – even when it came along in April. And who can forget the March Blizzard of ’93? WGTJ Radio | Facebook