Latest news with #BuckeyeChuck
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When does spring begin? Ohio flower giving stinky sign that warmer weather is almost here
The groundhogs have had their say on when spring will arrive (though Buckeye Chuck and Punxsutawney Phil disagree), now it's time for the skunks. Skunk cabbages, that is. According to a recent Facebook post from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, skunk cabbage — the state's first wildflower of spring — has been spotted in Southern Ohio. So when will the warmer weather arrive? Here's what to know. Skunk cabbage, our first spring wildflower, has arrived in southern Ohio! Tune in with Ohio State Parks Naturalist Jenny Richards as she talks about the stinky wildflower and its cool features. Spring is coming! Posted by Ohio Department of Natural Resources on Sunday, February 16, 2025 Spring will officially arrive on March 20, 2025. That's the date of the vernal equinox, when both hemispheres of the Earth receive the same amount of daylight, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. It marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, with the days getting longer, and the start of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, with the days getting shorter. The equinox is a little more than three weeks away. How many days until spring? See what the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting in Ohio According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, we're set for a mild start to spring this year. "The U.S. spring outlook predicts warmer-than-normal temperatures for most of the country, with a few exceptions: southern and central California, Desert Southwest, southern Florida, and western Ohio Valley, where it will be near to below normal," the publication wrote. Ohio's temperatures will start in the normal range for the first weeks of spring, but should heat up after that, per the almanac. Skunk cabbage "is the first native wildflower to bloom in spring, often when snow and ice are still present," according to ODNR's website. They flower first, producing enough heat to melt any surrounding snow and ice. As the flowers fade, foul-smelling leaves emerge. By late spring and summer, large colonies of skunk cabbage are conspicuous because of the stench. Skunk cabbages grow in the soggy soil of wooded wetlands, and are found throughout Ohio. They are more frequent in Northeast Ohio and scarcest along the Ohio River. When is Easter Sunday 2025? Here's how the date is determined each year Daylight saving time, when we set our clocks ahead an hour to extend the amount of sunlight later into the evening, is another sure sign of spring. In 2025, it will begin at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9, the Cincinnati Enquirer previously reported. While some people just want winter to be over and spring to begin, others are looking forward to the heat of summer. Summer officially begins on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. The June solstice occurs at 10:42 p.m. on Friday, June 20, 2025, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. That's the moment in the Earth's orbit when the North Pole is at its maximum tilt (about 23.5 degrees) toward the sun, resulting in the most amount of daylight and shortest night of the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, the solstice marks the start of winter, with the least amount of sunlight and the longest night of the year. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: When is spring 2025? A stinky sign of warmer weather in Ohio appears
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Can groundhogs correctly predict the weather?
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A few days ago, some furry rodents got their day to bask in the sun –or the clouds — but a few regional groundhogs had conflicting reports. On Sunday, Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, signifying another six weeks of winter. But Ohio's own groundhog, Buckeye Chuck, did not see his shadow, meaning we will see an early start to spring. According to weather experts, both rodents are highly inaccurate, but the current setup would favor Buckeye Chuck's prediction. 'We are in what's called a La Nina pattern,' said Kristen Cassady, NWS Wilmington meteorologist. 'And so typically for late winter, early spring, that means above normal precipitation and above normal temperatures for us. And so that is indeed what we are expecting as we go through the rest of February into March.' While the science favors Chuck, there will be days that are on the cold side, as a result of how low pressure systems work. 'What ends up happening is you end up getting on the warm side of the front and then the colder side, you know, 24, 36 hours later. And so that results in large swings in temperatures. And those are entirely driven by the track of the low pressure system,' said Cassady. Dayton broke a 98-year-old record high, getting to 66 degrees on Monday — but don't expect temperatures to stay that way.'Even though we had temperatures that were well above normal yesterday, we are looking at a couple of chances for some wintry precipitation over the next week,' said Cassady. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Buckeye Chuck has a 55% success rate in forecasting while Punxsutawney Phil has a 35% success rate. Who will be right? Only time will tell. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Seasonal outlook for when spring begins in Ohio, and a look at the rest of winter
Ohioans may be catching early cases of spring fever. Unfortunately, the winter season isn't even halfway over. There's a little under two months to go until the official end of the winter season and the onset of spring, promising warmer days, and for some, a brighter mood. Stark County's winter has already packed a punch, as the Akron-Canton area has recorded more than 25 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. This is more than was recorded in the entirety of last season. The first day of spring will be Thursday, March 20. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, Ohio has a chance to see unusually warm conditions from February through April. Its seasonal outlook casts a majority of the state within a 33% to 40% chance to observe above average temperatures during that time frame. If you're itching for a look into the next few weeks of winter, you may not have to wait long. Punxsutawney Phil will make his annual prediction this Sunday, Feb. 2. If the groundhog does not see his shadow, an early spring may be on the way. If he does, you may want to bundle up for six more weeks of winter. Buckeye Chuck, the weather predicting groundhog from Ohio, is scheduled to make his prediction on Sunday, as well. The tradition comes from WMRN-AM, a radio station in Marion. He's been making the annual predictions since the 1970s. Last season, the groundhog predicted an early spring. Supporters claim Buckeye Chuck has an accuracy rate of more than 75%, much higher than Punxsutawney Phil's reported rate of around 40%, according to the Marion Star. The groundhog will make his prediction at the Marion County Fairgrounds Colosseum from 7 to 8 a.m., according to the station. The event will also be streamed on 1490-AM WMRN. 'Chuck has been studying weather patterns, jet stream anomalies, computer models, and napping in order to procure Ohio's most accurate springtime forecast,' Chris Kelly, the vice president of programming for iHeartMedia Marion, said in a prepared statement. Buckeye Chuck, whose real name is Murray, will travel two hours from his home at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to Marion. Murray serves as an animal ambassador at the museum when he's not participating in Groundhog Day. When it comes time see his shadow, Jim Nemet, director of wildlife at the museum, said it's all up to Murray whether or not he participates. The tradition (and later holiday) began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to the National Weather Service. The tradition of relying on hibernating animals for weather advice has its origins in ancient European weather lore, where a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. It also has its origins in Candlemas, an ancient Christian holiday where a clear sky was meant to indicate an early spring. In the 1880s, a newspaper editor in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, used his platform to promote Punxsutawney Phil "to be the one and only official weather forecasting groundhog," a title now contested by Buckeye Chuck, who became the state's official weather-predicting groundhog in 1975. The Columbus Dispatch contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on The Repository: When does spring start? Here's the seasonal outlook for Ohio
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Groundhog Day 2025: Will Punxsutawney Phil, Buckeye Chuck see their shadows? What to know
Ohio's Buckeye Chuck—and his Pennsylvania counterpart who gets more publicity, Punxsutawney Phil—will emerge from their burrows on Sunday to tell us if we can expect an early spring or six more weeks of winter. So why do we rely on these hibernating rodents to forecast the weather? It's a tradition that spans centuries, USA TODAY reports. Here's what to know about Groundhog Day. Weigh in on spring: Will Buckeye Chuck see his shadow? Groundhog Day is Feb. 2. This year it will be on a Sunday. According to lore, the Old Farmer's Almanac says a groundhog will emerge from its burrow on Groundhog Day. If it sees its shadow, it will retreat back into its hole and we can expect another six weeks of winter. If there's no shadow, that's a sign of an early spring. Groundhog Day is an "unusual holiday," according to the Farmers Almanac, that dates back centuries to European traditions. It was originally a Celtic festival marking the year's first cross-quarter day, or a midpoint between seasons, per the almanac. In the Northern Hemisphere, Feb. 2 marks the midpoint between the winter solstice in December and the spring equinox in March. Feb. 2 is also known as St. Brigid's Day, mixing figures from pagan traditions and Christian beliefs. In Europe, groundhogs weren't the animal of choice for the festival, according to the almanac. France and England looked to the bear for a sign. In Germany, it was the badger. German immigrants brought the legend with them when they settled in Pennsylvania in the 1800s. Finding no badgers, they turned to the groundhog. Punxsutawney Phil is the best-known groundhog who has been making predictions since 1886, according to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The Groundhog Day tradition as we know it dates to 1887. According to the club, Punxsutawney Phil is also known as the: Seer of Seers Prognosticator of Prognosticators Weather Predictor Extraordinaire Br'er Groundhog National Treasure Buckeye Chuck will return for his 46th year of predicting the weather from 7 to 8 a.m. Sunday at the Marion County Fairgrounds, roughly 50 miles north of Columbus, according to the Marion Star. The event will be broadcast live on 1490 WMRN and on the Buckeye Chuck Facebook fan page. Buckeye Chuck is an animal ambassador who resides at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, according to WMRN. In 1979, the Ohio legislature named him the official groundhog for the Buckeye State, per While Phil is the most famous, he isn't the most accurate, USA TODAY reports. He is only right around 39% of the time, according to the Stormfax Weather Almanac. In comparison, Buckeye Chuck, has been correct an estimated 75% of the time, according to the Marion Star, a part of the USA TODAY Network. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When is Groundhog Day 2025? Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?
