Spring may still be over 50 days away, and Groundhog Day is over a week out, but predictions for what this year’s spring might be are already rolling in.
According to preliminary long-term forecasts, the Farmers' Almanac predicts Spring 2025 will have a slow start to warm weather across Canada. Early-season storms are expected to bring a mix of heavy rain and snow to many regions. The Prairies, including Alberta, are forecast to be “unseasonably cool” with plenty of rain.
“[A] Wet Easter Sunday with showers Rockies, Prairies,” the Almanac notes.
Meanwhile, Alberta’s favourite "Prairie Prognosticator," Balzac Billy, is preparing to make his annual weather prediction on Sunday, Feb. 2, during the 22nd yearly Groundhog Day Breakfast.
The Airdrie Regional Chamber of Commerce will host the event from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Blue Grass Nursery & Garden Centre, south of CrossIron Mills. The celebration will feature a free pancake breakfast, live musical entertainment, and the chance to meet Billy in person.
Last year, Billy spotted his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter—a forecast that differed from other famous groundhogs across Canada and the U.S. Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam, Ontario’s Wiarton Willie, Quebec’s Fred la Marmotte, and Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney Phil all called for an early spring. Billy’s prediction, however, held to Alberta’s chilly weather.
Balzac Billy, often affectionately called a groundhog, is actually a Richardson ground squirrel—a yellow-grey, short-tailed prairie creature well-suited to Alberta’s grassy terrain. Groundhog Day traditions, rooted in Pennsylvania Dutch folklore, suggest that a shadow means six more weeks of winter, while no shadow signals an early spring.
Though lighthearted, the event has become a cherished celebration for communities across the province, including Airdrie, Calgary, and Balzac.
While some residents may eagerly anticipate spring's arrival on March 20, this week’s forecast offers a taste of milder weather. After a frosty low of -14°C on Wednesday night, daytime highs are expected to reach zero on Thursday and Saturday. By Sunday, temperatures will climb to +3°C, and Monday will be the warmest day of the week, at +5°C.
With seasonal normals for late January sitting at a high of -5°C and a low of -18°C, this warming trend provides a welcome break from colder conditions in weeks past.
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