Definition: Florida's "real" Groundhog Day

Florida does have a Groundhog Day ...

Only it doesn't fall on February 2nd.

Photograph of Labor Day
storm clouds at Naples Beach

Labor Day, not February 2nd,
is Groundhog Day in south Florida

The reason? 

South Floridians would love for winter to last all year, it's the summer (that reaches well into fall) that never seems to end.


That thus makes Labor Day Florida' Groundhog Day proxy. Labor Day signifies summer's end on the continental part of the United States -- but not in south Florida where, when it arrives, year-round residents resign themselves to 6 more weeks of grueling summer weather (i.e. heat, humidity, afternoon showers and hurricane watch) ...

And that's guaranteed, shadow or not.