Weather Eye: Rain returns Friday, falling all weekend and beyond

Today is a big day for groundhogs, I guess. Punxsutawney Phil will be removed from his cozy corners early today in Punxsutawney, Pa., to give his annual prognostication on whether there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring. The weather forecast for the big event was cloudy skies and 20 degrees at showtime.

It is my annual reminder to watch once again “Groundhog Day,” with Bill Murray. I have seen that movie about as many times as Phil the weatherman lived that day over and over again. It’s a must-see movie that brings home to heart to this weatherman.

Regardless, we still have a little over six weeks until the official start of spring, but only 27 days for us weather and climate folks. I don’t know about you, but I am getting signs of spring fever already and can hardly wait to bring out some chairs on my west-facing deck to soak up the rays when we get a lucky break in the weather action.

But that will have to wait.

Rain returns Friday, falling all weekend and most of next week. We may get one of those lucky breaks next Monday, but we’ll see. We get back to “normal” with rain in the valleys and plenty of snow in the mountains, and those cold overnight lows will warm well above the freezing mark.

We had four straight days with sub-freezing low temperatures, probably five counting today. On Jan. 29, we recorded 25 degrees, followed by 17 degrees, 22 degrees and 25 degrees early Wednesday.

As we get storms rolling in off the Pacific, we will also feel the associated southerly winds gusting as each weather front passes — perhaps in the 30-to-40-mph range locally and upward of 50 to 55 mph along the exposed reaches of the coastline. Yep, back in the groove.

Rain or showers are on tap most of next week, with no cold or snow for us. However, there may be another risk of cold arctic air and increased snow chances the week after next. I’ll send an email to the groundhog. Stay tuned.