Today is Armadillo Day, Texas’ version of Groundhog Day when Hill Country armadillo Bee Cave Bob determines the forecast for the next six weeks. How accurate is the little nine-banded weatherman?
In the last 136 years, groundhog Punxsutawney Phil has had a 39% accuracy rate, opting for six weeks of winter 108 times.
While not as long-standing, Bob has predicted 14 Armadillo Days, and since 2018, all have been early springs — except for 2021, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let’s look back at the recorded averages for the last few years to see how they compare. In Fort Worth, the average temperature is 50.5º in February + 58.2º in March, but “spring temperatures” usually range 57.5º-77.5º.
2023 | February: 52.4º | March: 60.7º
2022 | February: 46.2º | March: 58.5º
2021 | February: 41.1º | March: 61.4º
2020 | February: 49.6º | March: 63.4º
2019 | February: 50.2º | March: 55º
2018 | February: 51.1º | March: 63.3º
See what Bob predicts for 2024.
