Groundhog's verdict welcome in county

Last week, Pennsylvania’s resident rodent meteorologist Punxsutawney Phil made his 126^th appearance, proclaiming six more weeks of winter weather for all. But, in a year when Orange County has seen very little snow, much less winter temperatures, Phil’s prediction may be a welcome one.

According to Northern Piedmont Agricultural Research Station Specialist Steve Gulick, Orange County is trending behind on snow. Thus far, Orange County has only seen eight-tenths of an of snow, whereas last year the county had accumulated 6.2 inches by this time.

“It’s nice to get moisture in the ground over winter,” Gulick said. “[But] ending up with a surplus last year [helped].”

Meanwhile, rainfall is right on track. On average, the county has 3.38 inches of rain by this time of year. Right now, the county has had 2.92 inches. Last year’s yearlong rainfall total of 56.2 inches far surpassed the annual average 31.73 inches.

“Last year, we were above, but right now we’re a little behind,” Gulick noted.

However, missing the white stuff may not be something to be concerned about, even with the lack of snow. According to Orange County Extension Agent Steve Hopkins, there have been good moisture conditions throughout the fall and winter even without any snow falling.

Even the recent warm weather conditions haven’t been a problem.

While Gulick acknowledges that the county is not likely “out of the woods yet for cold weather,” and the warm conditions may cause some plants to crop up too early, Hopkins said the warm weather has been good for the livestock.

“The warm conditions and the good fall grazing conditions have reduced the amount of feed needed for livestock,” Hopkins said. “The body condition of most livestock is also excellent. Warm conditions in February and early March with a late frost could be a concern, but for now most farmers are simply enjoying the mild winter.”

And it doesn’t look like 2009’s Snowmageddon will be repeating itself anytime soon. According to weather predictions, high temperatures are expected to hover in the low-mid 50-degree range into the weekend with lows in the 30-degree range. On average, high temperatures in February are in the 40-degree range with lows in the 20-degree range. There is no mention of any snow in sight.