Forget The Groundhog, You’ll Love Missouri’s February WX Forecast

Do you remember how the whole Groundhog Day thing goes? Is it six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow? I always have to look it up. Anyway, forget the mythology of the Groundhog that's completely based on whether it's sunny, and let's look at what the experts are saying we can expect this month.

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If I didn't like the forecast I probably wouldn't be writing this story. I'd be writing about another miserable Missouri winter. And hey, truthfully, as much as I hope we're done with the bitter cold and snow, it's February 1. So regardless of what that little fury rodent predicts, or what the National Weather Service is saying, snow, ice, cold, and the Missouri winter thing could still happen over the next six to eight weeks.

However, the National Weather Service out of Kansas City has a fairly positive forecast for our part of Missouri for February. In a Facebook post this morning they wrote, "Above normal temperatures are likely with an equal chance for above, near, and below normal precipitation."

Normal for West Central Missouri is a high of 40 on February 1, 44 on February 14, and 49 on February 29. The National Weather Service is saying we have a 60% chance of above-normal temperatures and a 33% chance of near-normal temperatures. While only a 7% chance of below-normal temperatures. I'll take those odds anytime.

As far as precipitation is concerned, that seems to be anyone's guess. There are equal chances for above, below, or normal amounts of precipitation. With much of Missouri including most of Pettis County and the counties east of us still showing as abnormally dry according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, I guess I'd root for normal to above-normal precipitation and hope that helps us out and that it's warm enough we don't have to deal with ice or freezing rain.

I don't know about you, but overall I think this is an excellent forecast for Missouri. Certainly better than what area groundhogs will probably predict tomorrow. See, it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow. That means area groundhogs will probably see their shadow, and we'll get six more weeks of winter. Yeah, forget that. I'm betting on the meteorologists.