That d@mn groundhog was WRONG!

Is this weather creeping anyone else out? I cannot recall a winter that was milder or less snowy. Granted, I'm not very old (--yeah, right!) compared to climate data, but to me Ohio is starting to feel a lot like North Carolina. And I'm pretty sure tornadoes in Illinois aren't typical in February.
A couple of years ago, I posted about Martenitsa which begins today. The Bulgarian tradition holds that you wear the martenitsa, a little red and white pair of tassels, until you see the first blooming tree or bush heralding spring. This year, I have already seen a forsythia blooming not more than a mile from my house.