According to one furry friend in Dundurn, Saskatchewan residents will see the end of winter very soon. But with the warm and dry weather, some are wondering if winter has even started.

At the first annual Groundhog Day in Dundurn, groundhog stunt double Gainer the Gopher did not see his shadow, which usually means an early spring. But it's felt like spring for weeks in northern Saskatchewan.

It's been one of the warmest winters on record, but also one of the driest. Climatologists like Danny Blair call this type of weather a drought. "If the dryness of the winter continues, there'll be very little snow melt in the summertime and for some regions that's not a very good thing."

Climatologists say unusual patterns in atmospheric pressures mean the jet stream is further north than usual, keeping the cold arctic air up and away.

And while it would be surprising to not have some bouts of cold and snow over the next two months, it's not impossible.

"The next two weeks look way above normal still. There's no sign of really cold weather out there," says Blair.

Climatologists also say we can expect to see this type of winter more often in the future.