PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — During the annual Groundhog Day celebration, a small furry animal in a western Pennsylvania town predicted six more weeks of winter.
People gather at Gobbler’s Knob Thursday A member of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle”, he summons groundhogs from his tree stump at dawn to find out if he sees his own shadow – they say he does. According to folklore, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring will come early.
The “inner circle” is a group of local dignitaries who plan events and feed and care for Phil himself.
Annual Events at PunxsutawneyLocated about 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Pittsburgh, it originated in a German legend about a furry rodent. The annual gathering attracts thousands of people.
NOAA compared Punxsutawney Phil’s forecasts to national weather over the past 10 years and found that “on average, Phil’s forecasts were 40% accurate”.
This year, Phil’s predictions were made in a week Has wandered through much of the southern United States
Based on records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Organizers said that ten years passed because there were no records.
2021 and forecasts for 2022 Also asked for another six weeks of winter.
While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog sore, he’s certainly not the only one. Chuck of the Staten Island Zoo in New York City made his early spring predictions Thursday at an event at the Staten Island Zoo. Phil and Chuck are among the many rodents that claim to be able to predict the weather.