In 1978 New England saw its worst snowstorm in history. Between Feb. 6 and 7, 1978, more than 27 inches of snow fell onto Boston over a 32-hour period without letting up.
This week, though, Mike Jackson of the National Weather Service, called the January 2005 blizzard one of Boston's top five of all time even though the Blizzard of 1978 still seems to take the cake for the worst snowstorm in Boston's history.
Hopefully winter is almost over. Wednesday brings us another Groundhog Day and maybe this year the weather gods will send us a cloudy day so that the legendary groundhog will not see his shadow and we will not be condemned to six more dreadful weeks of winter.
The odds, however, are not in favor of an early spring.
Groundhog Day started in 1887, making this year the 118th that all eyes are on the psychic groundhog at Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania. According to his official Web site, groundhog.org, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 94 times out of the past 117 Groundhog Days, tipping the scales in favor of six more long and cold weeks of winter.
Because the results of nine Groundhog Days were not recorded, there are only 14 times on record in 117 years that Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow and stayed above ground, thinking it was spring.
The last time Punxsutawney Phil was not scared back into his dugout by his shadow was in 1999, so it is about time for us to enjoy early spring. After this snowy and bitterly cold winter, we more than deserve the little bit of warmth an early spring might provide.
But even if Punxsutawney Phil is startled by his shadow, at least the snowiest month in the history of Boston is over tonight at midnight.
Spring Break
