PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL'S SHADOW STRIKES AGAIN SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER PREDICTED
Punxsutawney Phil has made his prediction – six more weeks of winter. The famous groundhog saw his shadow Sunday morning, his handlers announced to a large crowd gathered for the occasion at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania.
Every year on February 2 – Groundhog Day – members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club make the journey to Gobbler’s Knob, which is the groundhog’s official home.
The groundhog tradition is an annual ritual that dates back more than a century in western Pennsylvania with deep roots in European folklore. When Phil the groundhog does not see his shadow, legend says an early spring is imminent. When he does see it, there will be six more weeks of winter.
Historically, Phil has predicted a longer winter more often than an early spring, the Associated Press reports. The National Centers for Environmental Informational conducted a test to determine how accurate Phil has been. They found that on average, Phil’s prediction has been right 30% of the time over the past 10 years.
AccuWeather meteorologists will release a spring forecast on Wednesday, and the forecast so far does not “look as straightforward as Phil’s.”
"We're already seeing spring establishing itself in the South," AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.
Whether Phil’s prediction this year holds true or not, winter-weary Americans will have to wait and see if the groundhog’s shadow is a true sign of the season or just a fun tradition to keep everyone guessing.
