Where is Wiarton Willie

The winter that wasn’t?
WINTER: No shadow likely on Groundhog Day

By Jeff Helsdon - Staff Writer
Wednesday February 01, 2006


The Tillsonburg News — Tomorrow morning the province, and a part of eastern North America, will be watching when Wiarton Willie is dragged out of his hole to tell us what the next six weeks of weather will bring.
While the small mammalian prognosticator is usually deep in hibernation and facing snow on his day of fame, the harsh winter of Januarys past just isn’t here this year. That doesn’t mean we haven’t seen any winter. The first 21 days of December were colder than normal, with more snow than usual.
“Then, on the first day of winter, winter was gone,” said David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
Instead of the usual one or two warm days seen in January, the entire month has been warm. And it’s not just in Ontario. Phillips said the entire country is experiencing warmer temperatures.
Looking at London climate data, Phillips said the average London temperature for January was 0? Celsius. In addition to being the longest January thaw ever, the month set a record high average temperature. The previous warmest month was a tie between January 1950 and January 2002, both of which had an average temperature of -1.3? C.
On the precipitation side, only 12 centimetres of snow was recorded for London as compared to 52.6 centimetres in a normal January. That doesn’t mean January was a dry month, though. The month saw 72 millimetres of rain as of Monday.
“It’s not dry at all,” Phillips said. “It’s April in January.”
Phillips said the change isn’t due to global warming or El Nino, but simply an absence of cold air. The Arctic air that’s usually over Canada is over Europe.
“It’s giving them misery and one of the worst winters in history,” Phillips said of European conditions this year. “Hundreds are dying in the streets and we’re sitting here in halter tops and muscle shirts drinking beer on the patio.”
While Canadians are saving 20 to 25 per cent on their heating bills, Phillips said winter sport enthusiasts aren’t too happy. Sandra DeSerranno of Rotten Ronnie’s Hook and Hammer on Long Point reported there was no ice on the bay, or even channels, as of Monday. Diehard anglers who couldn’t get any ice fishing last week headed out in a boat. One boat came back in with 60 fish.
The next few days are expected to see daytime highs passing the freezing mark. Phillips said Environment Canada’s forecast for February is normal to warmer than normal.
As for Willy, the forecast for Thursday was for cloudy, meaning no shadow and an early spring. So if the groundhog is right, the January that wasn’t will become the winter that wasn’t.