Did Phil see his shadow? Every Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog who many believe has the uncanny ability to predict the weather, makes his way from is burrow located on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which is about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
As the tradition claims, if Phil sees his shadow when he emerges from his temporary home (a fake tree stump), the weather forecast calls for six more weeks of winter. If Phil doesn’t, that means spring is approaching.
Groundhog Day has been a tradition that has been recognized in the United States and Canada since 1887. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club believes Phil has been alive for more than 120 years. “There has been only one Punxsutawney Phil. Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking ‘groundhog punch’ (a secret recipe),” according to the club. “One sip, which is administered every summer at the Groundhog Picnic, gives him seven more years of life.”
Although groundhogs have an average lifespan of six to eight years, it’s still fun to believe Phil has discovered the key to living a long and healthy life.
Groundhog Day comes from Pennsylvania Dutch culture. Some say the badger is a forecasting animal and can predict the weather. Despite the claim that the groundhog has the ability to predict if spring will come early, many people question how accurate Phil’s weather predictions are. According to Live Science, Phil has only been right 39 percent of the time.
Although Punxsutawney Phil is the “oldest” and most popular groundhog, other groundhogs around the country have weather predicting abilities, too. Staten Island Chuck lives in New York’s Staten Island Zoo and is well-known for making weather predictions as well as biting mayors.
So, did Phil see his shadow?
On Friday, February 2, the crowd grew anxious as they waited to find out if spring is coming around the corner. At least one person in the crowd had a sign that read “Make Ameria Warm Again!” At approximately 7:20 a.m., the famous Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his dwelling and saw his shadow, indicating we will have six weeks of winter.
Time shall tell.
