🐿️Shadow or No Shadow, Winter Isn’t Done Yet (Sorry)
The Haswell Quick-Cast | February 2nd, 2026 | Chief Meteorologist Rob Haswell
Good Morning Quick-Casters!
Welcome to Groundhog Day, that magical moment when we all pretend a sleepy rodent has a better long-range forecast than supercomputers. (No offense, Phil. )
The groundhog might see his shadow today… if he wakes up a little late.
Southern Wisconsin starts the day cloudy with patchy freezing drizzle or a few flurries, but then clears with some afternoon sun.
Let’s break it all down!
🌥️ YOUR-Cast
(Groundhog Alarm Clock Edition)
⚠️ Haswell Heads-Up: early slick spots possible on bridges, overpasses, and untreated surfaces.
TODAY: Early AM flurries then partly sunny and calmer.
High: 28° (about 3° below average, because winter insists on being extra)
Wind: NW 5–10 mph
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy. Low 12°
🔭 THE LONG RANGER
(a.k.a. “What Winter Is Plotting”)
Tuesday–Wednesday:
High pressure takes control — quiet, dry, and seasonably cold. Expect some sunshine and highs mostly in the 20s. Zero drama. Zero storms. All vibes.
Thursday–Friday:
The pattern loosens up as southwest flow brings milder air, pushing highs into the 30s.
A chance of light snow develops Thursday night into early Friday, possibly mixed briefly before a cold front moves through. Nothing blockbuster, but worth watching.
Saturday–Sunday:
Colder air slides back in behind Friday’s front with brisk north winds. A seasonably wintry weekend is on tap, and right now there are no major precipitation signals trying to steal the spotlight.
🎉 TODAY IS…
Yes, it’s Groundhog Day 🐿️ but it’s also…
National Tater Tot Day 🥔 and World Wetlands Day 🌾
Reminder: If the tater tot sees its shadow…
➡️ Six more weeks of binge-watching Napoleon Dynamite. Science.
🐿️ A BRIEF HISTORY: GROUNDHOG DAY & CANDLEMAS
Groundhog Day traces its roots to Candlemas Day, an ancient Christian tradition observed on February 2. Candlemas marked the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox — and folklore held that clear weather meant more winter ahead, while clouds signaled an early spring.
German settlers brought this tradition to Pennsylvania, swapping European hedgehogs for a more locally available forecasting tool: the groundhog.
Thus, a centuries-old seasonal tradition evolved into a modern festival where we gather… to judge a marmot.
Meteorology has advanced.
The groundhog remains undefeated in confidence.
🤓 TODAY IN NERD-STORY
Weather history always chooses chaos:
1916: The Wabash River in Indiana crested nine feet above flood stage.
1976: A Groundhog Day gale slammed the Northeast and southeastern Canada.
1978: An East Coast blizzard delivered 50 mph winds and below-zero temps.
2011: The Wisconsin Groundhog Day Blizzard buried Milwaukee with 16.0 inches of snow between 6 PM Feb 1 and noon Feb 2. Absolute legend status.
Groundhog Day has a track record.
🌕 MOON CHECK
Waning Gibbous — 99% full
March’s Full “Worm Moon” arrives March 3 at 5:38 AM
Bonus: a Total Lunar Eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon 🌑🔴
⏳ COUNTDOWN WATCH
🌱 45 days until Spring | The March Equinox arrives March 20 at 9:46 AM.
❄️ Until Next Time…
Stay warm, stay upright, and don’t let a groundhog bully you emotionally.
Rob & ROBBI - Your Quick-Cast Team!