Punxsutawny Phil Liggett

Oh Groundhog Day.  I guess there is no more formal day of national weather prognostication than today.  And since we're so close to The Pantani, I've got Phil and Paul on the brain.  Ok, that's partly true - I actually have Phil and Paul on the brain all the time.  Regardless, that wretched little varmint dug deep, deep into his suitcase of courage this morning, and out came - his shadow.  Back into the holes, everyone, there's been a touch of the wheels.  6 more weeks of winter.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/02/02/groundhog-day-2015-punxsutawney-phil-sees-shadow-predicts-six-more-weeks-of-winter/

The little rat.

Well, no better time for a check-in of the weather from atop the pop.

Cloudy, with a chance of "holy shit this is hard."

Snow.

 Snow at night.

 Mo snow.

Look, I've been up there a lot in the last month, not training or anything mind you, just lurking about, coughing up blood, and generally acting like a local.  Not once has it been without at least a little snow and ice.  The back of Wyatt Mtn, right now, is an all out ice luge for Olympic glory, which is great and all if you're riding, say, a bobsled.  And it's not so bad on a fat tired bike.  But if immediate conditions are any indication, I wouldn't ride a road bike up there under any circumstance.

That said, 1) I'm not you, and 2) it looks like we'll nip the 50s a few times this week, and there's nothing white in the forecast aside from the forecasters themselves.  So make your own decisions, go with the 23's if it's what you have to do, and maybe The Pantani conditions will be lucky.

But listen here, son: time is all the luck you need.

Up, up, up.