CONCORD TOWNSHIP – Lake County’s own Concord Casimir made his prediction Monday morning, Feb. 2, with results indicating a continued cold streak and what emcee John Niedzialek called a “Pierogi Vortex.”
“Concord Casimir says, ‘Sorry, the cold is not going away,’” Niedzialek said. “’Watch out for the Pierogi Vortex.’”
Concord Casimir made his much-anticipated forecast Monday, Feb. 2, at Ellison Creek Knob in Concord Township.
Casimir predicted waves of unseasonably cold weather to continue to move into the area throughout the end of winter.
“Don’t put your ‘gacies,’ also known as long underwear, away says Casimir,’” Niedzialek said.
Predictions are made interpreting the way Casimir eats his pierogies, Niedzialek said, and this year something seldom seen in pierogi forecasting happened: his pierogi split in half while eating.
“That is a Pierogi Vortex, folks, and that means waves of cold will continue to split off from our polar region and head our way,” Niedzialek said. “We have all heard the meteorologists with their fancy terms like Polar Vortex, El Niño and La Niña, but few have heard about the Pierogi Vortex until this year.”
Niedzialek said Casimir’s forecasts have been spot-on for all of his career, so why doubt him now?
Niedzialek and Casimir say “We know that there is an animal in Pennsylvania that gets a lot of attention in predicting the weather, but we don’t mention the ‘P’ word around here. It’s kind of like Ohio State fans referring to ‘that team up north.’ We just refer to that animal in Pennsylvania as ‘The Critter out East,’ and quite honestly, he has not been very good at predicting the weather.”
Niedzialek said he gets a lot of questions as to why Casimir eats a pierogi in making his flawless predictions.
“My only answer is he was rescued as a tiny kitten at Polish St. Casimir Church, so what is he supposed to eat, a taco?” he said.
Casimir is certainly a bit spoiled, according to Niedzialek, and he complains about working one day a year, but he does get excited knowing Mrs. T’s Pierogies will be waiting for him on Feb. 2.
The oracular cat was found abandoned as a kitten on the footsteps of Historic St. Casimir Polish Church on Cleveland’s east side at what many are now calling “Cleveland’s Miraculous Polish Church” after it reopened on July 15, 2012. Perhaps it is just a coincidence, but Concord Casimir shares the same birthday.
“Is it divine intervention or is Casimir just that good?” Niedzialek said. “In any case, why would anyone listen to a groundhog?”
Niedzialek is a weather enthusiast retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. he has been a part-time instructor at Lakeland College teaching earth science and meteorology, is the 1994 Greater Cleveland Golf Champion, conducts erosion control inspections on construction sites, works part time for the Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District and volunteers at St. Casimir Church.
“I must let everyone know that the Polish language states pierog as a singular version while it is typical in the English translation to use pierogi. In any case, Casimir enjoys them either way,” Niedzialek said.
