Canadian groundhogs predicted spring would come early this year, but temperatures so far make it feel as if winter never quite arrived. A record 92 millimeters of rain fell in January, Environment Canada meteorologist Gilles Coulombe said. Rain and high of 5 degrees Celsius was bad news for those who love winter sports and for local businesses, who need snow and cold for survival. The Fete des Neiges winter festival in Jean Drapeau Park was cancelled this weekend for the first time in its 24-year history. Several outdoor events of the winter carnival held annually in the provincial capital were cancelled because of warm weather. And one ice sculptor was slightly injured when his melting masterpiece crumbled over him. It's also been a dismal winter for ice fishing enthusiasts. Frozen lakes and rivers in the Montreal area are covered with sheets of water. Last January, there were measured about 75 centimetres of ice on Lake of Two Mountains. Now, only about 40 centimeters of water was frozen. As for many of Quebec's ski hills, it may as well be spring already. Skiers are facing lots of the wet granular snow usually seen in April. If weather continues to be mild, maple syrup production in Quebec could suffer. But the unpredictable nature of weather means that all may not be lost yet. February 1980 was a month even worse than this year but we ended up having a record year for maple syrup production. This week, temperatures are expected to dip to normal for this time of year.

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