1 Month, 16 days after Punxsutawney Phil failed to see his shadow - symbolizing an early Spring - people in the Quad Cities are wondering... Where is it?
Remember the smell of green grass, golf courses opening early, wearing shorts? Well, that was Spring 2012. On Monday, March 18, 2013, the second to last day of Winter 2013 was snowy, windy, cloudy, and cold.
"It's freezing," says Jesse Alexander, a Junior at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. "It's very windy out. Not enjoying the weather so far."
Jesse and other sprinters with Augustana's Men's Track Team were fighting the freeze on Monday to find their stride before their first outdoor meet on Saturday.
Inside at Corn Crib Nursery in Coal Valley, Illinois, the greenhouse is full of flowers... just not customers yet.
"Last year we were in the 80s and selling potatoes and onions and the place was starting to wake up from Winter and this year it's quite a bit different," says Duane White, Owner/Partner of Corn Crib Nursery, which celebrates its 41st year in business this year. "It's much colder and people aren't thinking gardening yet."
On the other end of the Quad Cities - and of the spectrum - Ed Meyer is smiling at Ski Snowstar in Andalusia, Illinois.
"We're pretty excited," says Ed. The General Manager says Ski Snowstar will be open for the fourth weekend in March for the first time in nearly 30 years.
"We skied that same weekend back in 1984, but there's been lots of years we haven't come close to that so this is very unusual," says Ed.
To prepare for the weekend, Ski Snowstar will be making snow on Wednesday - the first day of Spring - which is something Ed says they have never done before.