Though the start of spring is still more than a month away, the spring-like conditions that have sprung in the area may be here to stay.
Not only did Georgia's most famous groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee predict an early spring Thursday morning when he failed to see his shadow, forecasters at the National Weather Service center in Charleston, S.C., also expect to round out the winter season with warmer temperatures.
The groundhog's caretakers at the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn say Beau has a 94 percent accuracy rating, giving him a better record than Punxsutawney Phil, his famous Pennsylvania counterpart.
Phil, by the way, called for six more weeks of winter.
Forecaster Julie Packett said the National Weather Service doesn't factor Beau's traditional prediction into their forecasts, but she said based on NWS data, he could be right about spring.
"We could still have some colder days in the mix, but right now it looks like it's going to be pretty warm towards the end of our winter months," Packett said.