Mascots - Climatehawk Northwest

our weather mascots

Below is a tribute video to all the weather mascots we have had over the years, 1998 - 2023 (Shadow, Misty, Nippy, Snowy, and Flurries)

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO

Snowy & Flurries, (2014-2023)

Texas Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs

Nippy (2009-2013)

Misty (1999-2007)

Shadow the Groundhog (1998-1999)

Over the years, our mascots were activiely involved with Groundhog Day ceremonies all over the Inland Northwest. Below are images of some of the events , and the accuracy rate of their predictions over a several-year period beginning in 1999!

Groundhog Day 2023 Final Ceremony (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2022 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2021 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2020 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2019 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2018 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2017 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2016 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2016 (Old Town, ID)

Groundhog Day 2015 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2013 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

Groundhog Day 2012 (Pend Oreille County, WA)

~ In Loving Memory of "Shadow" the Groundhog ~

Shadow was featured in the very first televised Groundhog Day ceremony in Spokane on February 2, 1999. Shadow was donated to our Weather Van Educational Program in 1998 by Bill Deeley, the president and caretaker of the famous Punxsutawney Phil. He was an actual offspring of Punxsutawney Phil, and the school kids just loved him! Shadow was only with us for a short time before he prematurely died of liver disease. This is unfortunately a common ailment in wild woodchucks.

Average Groundhog Day Accuracy Percentage 1999-2023: 65%

         ~ In Loving Memory ~
Flurries: April 2014 - November 2022
Snowy: April 2014 - August 2023

2023 Snowy DID NOT see her shadow, but somewhat of a cold, wintry spring occurred
Accuracy Score: Fair    FINAL CEREMONY
2022 Snowy DID see her shadow and a mixed bag of wintry weather continued.
Accuracy Score: Fair
2021 Snowy DID NOT see her shadow and an early spring arrived after some brief cold weather.
Accuracy Score: Excellent!
2020 Snowy SAW her shadow. A wintry pattern continued, but there were also some nice
spring-like days! Her Score: Fair
2019 Snowy DID NOT see her shadow, but instead of an early spring, we got snow and
Arctic air! Accuracy Score: Very Poor!
2018 Snowy DID NOT see her shadow, but winter weather intensified & persisted into spring.
Accuracy Score: Poor
2017 Snowy DID see her shadow and winter did indeed continue.
Accuracy Score: Excellent
2016 Snowy DID NOT see her shadow and the 2nd half of winter was mild.
Accuracy Score: Excellent
2015 Snowy DID NOT see her shadow and winter was a no-show during the 2nd half of the
season. Accuracy Score: Excellent
2014 We were in between prairie dogs, so we used the cat - YIKES!
Accuracy Score: Very Bad!
2013 Nippy DID NOT see his shadow and there was very little additional snow.
Accuracy Score: Excellent
2012 Nippy DID (sort of) see his shadow and we did get several more weeks of winter weather.
Accuracy Score: Excellent
2011 Nippy DID NOT see his shadow, but normal winter weather continued.
Accuracy Score: Poor
1999-2010 * Shadow, Misty, and Nippy's Accuracy Percentage was 65%

*LEGEND*
If shadow IS visible, then legend has it that winter weather will continue...
If shadow is NOT visible, then some earlier than normal spring weather might be the outcome!