Torregrossa: Groundhog Is Probably Right

Richard PietPublished: February 11, 2015

PUNXSUTAWNEY, PA - FEBRUARY 2: Groundhog handler John Griffiths holds Punxsutawney Phil after he saw his shadow predicting 6 more weeks of winter during 128th annual Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 2014 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the United States and Canada. A smaller than usual crowd this year of less than 25,000 people spent a night of revelry awaiting the sunrise and the groundhog's exit from his winter den. If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his den. Early spring arrives if he does not see his shadow, causing Phil to remain above ground. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Mlive Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa admits Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog has very little meteorological training, but his forecast on February 2 for another six weeks of winter is probably correct.

Torregrossa tells The Richard Piet Show on WBCK a quiet December, in which a Canadian cold pocket diminished and prompted speculation of a quieter, El Nino winter, was only temporary.

"El Nino hasn't formed and now in the last three or four weeks, the cold pocket in Canada has come back, it's expanded...it's going to be the dominant feature in our weather at least in the next month," Torregrossa said.

He also thinks weather in Michigan could look something like New England in late February and early March. Click the link below and listen to hear what he means by that!

Torregrossa will blog regularly about the current and upcoming weather, and also oversees a website about agricultural weather.