Groundhog Day has resulted in a prediction of six more weeks of winter. Drat.
“Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter on Tuesday during the annual Groundhog Day ceremony in Pennsylvania.” NY Post (2/2/21)
“There is a chance that cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Boston, as well as the surrounding areas, could endure a major snow event.” WNEP.com, (2/2/21)
“Two More Snowmakers Ahead For the Midwest and Northeast” Weather.com (2/3/21)
Those of us in no-snow states really empathize with you folks who have real-live ice-and-snow winters. Here in Central Florida, tonight’s forecast is a freeze-and-frost-warning night, meaning that the temperatures are almost certain to drop below freezing and giving us the coldest night of the winter season so far. Three days of lows in the 30’s and highs in the 40’s and 50’s – for those of us who only own shorts and t-shirts, it’s cold. But we do not “put away our Porsches” in the winter here. We drive them.
For those who have to change to vehicles that are better at handling cold and ice and snow, we feel your pain that our friend at Gobbler’s Knob predicted six more weeks of winter. Placing weather-related restrictions on the enjoyment of our cars is not something that we here in the south would enjoy doing. We do, however, have “summer convertible restrictions” in that we have thunderstorms almost every afternoon in the summer, and the convertible top better work and seal things up. (This also tends to restrict motorcycling unless you like to ride in the rain.)
The good news, if there is any, is that you have an additional six weeks up north to work on your cars and get the rest of those little jobs done before Spring arrives. With the help of COVID, you’ve been able to do the things on your list this winter like fluid changes, brake service and filter changes. But with the extra winter, it’s time to dig a little deeper. Claybar and wax. Deep clean the interior. Tidy up the engine compartment. Install that new radio and speakers. Fix that switch that hasn’t worked for the past two years. Make the sunroof works. Yea, and the hatch, too. Make it work right.
Make a Groundhog list! Put these things on the list and mark the date for completion – March 16, exactly six weeks after Groundhog Day. Take advantage of Punxsutawney Phil’s fully scientific, dutifully researched prognostication and get ready for the late Spring start to the driving season.
The Farmer’s Almanac says that the week that contains March 16 will be sunny and warm in central Florida with average highs around 70. In Pennsylvania, its says “rainy and mild” with high temps around 57. (For us, “57” is nowhere near “mild. Just sayin’)
So get your cars ready for the HPDE, autocross, car shows, cars-and-coffees, and drive events that are coming soon. If you are in the south or want to come south for a little early spring, we will be at Porsche Night at the Ace in downtown Orlando on February 15; the Florida Citrus Region PCA/924S944 Cup Autocross on February 21; and the Festivals of Speed at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando on March 14 with two 924s’s.
