Each year on Groundhog Day, people across the United States wait to see if a groundhog predicts an early spring or six more weeks of winter. In 2026, the Punxsutawney groundhog club reported that the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter. Many people in Maryland may have doubted the prediction at first, but the cold temperatures and late winter storms suggest the groundhog may have been right.
Weather data support the idea that winter lasted longer than usual this year. According to the National Weather Service, several cold fronts moved through the Mid-Atlantic region during February and early March. These systems brought freezing temperatures that lasted for weeks, allowing multiple snowstorms to come through and impact our area. The most significant storm came in late January and brought 6-12 inches of snow to most areas and around 8.8 inches in Rockville, according to a report by WBAL News. This resulted in a week and a day off from school. The freezing temperatures allowed the snow to adhere, freeze, and remain for weeks, which affected the closures.
There was also a smaller snowstorm that occurred later, on February 22, bringing 3-6 inches to the DC area according to a CBS News report, and school was canceled again on February 23. There were also minor accumulations that didn’t result in any delays or closures: the flurries on January 17 and the snowfall on March 3.
The continued snowfall this year made this winter feel longer than usual for many people. Normally, temperatures begin to warm, and snow becomes less common by early March. However, this year, the cold weather stuck around, allowing snow and ice to appear later in the season.
According to a CBS News report, “The snowfall recorded at BWI Airport is the highest amount since 2016, when 25 inches of snow was recorded,” referring to the January 25th snowstorm, which was historic for Maryland in general. Closer to home, accumulations in DC are similar, as “D.C. now has 8.5 inches of snow on the winter, about two inches above the norm to date,” according to a Washington Post report. Considering that the “average January snowfall is 4.9 inches,” this snowstorm was especially significant for the DMV.
Temperature statistics also show how unusually long and cold this winter was for the region, which allowed snow to stick. In nearby Washington, D.C., a Washington Post report found that January temperatures averaged about “4.2°F below normal,” making it the coldest January in more than a decade. Meteorologists also recorded “nine straight days where temperatures never rose above 32°F,” the longest freezing streak in the area since 1989. Long stretches of freezing weather like this allow snow and ice to stay on the ground much longer than usual. As a result, schools in some areas experienced delays, and outdoor activities were often interrupted by icy conditions.
Because these colder conditions continued well after Groundhog Day, the prediction of six more weeks of winter appeared to match what actually happened. Although Groundhog Day predictions are not scientific forecasts, this year’s cold weather in Maryland makes it seem like the groundhog got it right.
Freshman Gabriel Garcia thought that historically, the groundhog’s prediction “was just for fun and it seemed like some silly tradition, but now I’m having second thoughts.” Freshman Daniel Schwieters also “thought that it was not accurate and yeah, just for fun.”
Garcia said the January storm affected his daily life because “the big January storm stopped me from going outside for a while, but when I did, I slipped a lot on the ice and even fell a few times because of the ice. I still had a lot of fun in the snow, and went sledding a lot with friends.” On the other hand, Schwieters is “pissed off that it made school longer and it also made it harder to do stuff outside; I know a lot of spring sports practices were canceled.”
Whether by coincidence or luck, the tradition of Groundhog Day once again captured people’s attention and added some fun to the winter season. With continued snowfall and cold weather across the region, it truly felt like the groundhog’s prediction of six more weeks of winter had come true.
