Related coverage Groundhog Day more than one day's celebration

Once again, Feb. 2 -- this Friday -- also is Drowned Hogs Day.

Taking a cue from the groundhog to take a stab at predicting spring are the lesser known Drowned Hogs, a group of intrepid -- some would say wacko -- men and women who will jump into the Monongahela River at noon that day.

Their tradition, which started in Hull, Mass., was brought to Pittsburgh last year. The local leap again will be led by Al Bollinger, who moved back here from Massachusetts. But once again, he was to partake in the 12th Massachusetts swim yesterday at Nantasket Beach in Hull.

Once again, he and other "Pitts-brrrrgh" swimmers will jump into the Mon at the South Side Riverfront Park. They're collecting pledges and corporate sponsors to benefit charity -- Circle C Youth and Family Services, a nonprofit agency that assists children and teens to overcome challenges.

This swim is a challenge of a different sort. As they put it:

"If the Drowned Hogs 'frolic' in the chilly Mon, Spring's arrival is almost won. But if they scream and run back out, Winter will be a six-week bout."

Says Mr. Bollinger, who to accompany a latecomer went in twice last year, says a "major misconception" about these plunges is that they're shocking. There's less difference between the air temperature and the water temperature now than in, say, July, he argues, so, "It's like warming up. It's no shock at all!"

For more information on the event, contact him at 412-334-8089 or Circle C at 412-937-1605, ext. 224. Or visit www.circlec.net. For more on the Drowned Hogs, visit www.drownedhogs.com.

The after party is at 1719 E. Carson St. at Folino's Ristorante, whose chef is diving, too.