Did the groundhog, an annual Pennsylvania tradition , see his shadow
Six more weeks of winter — haven't we just had that just this week?
On a morning where Osceola County woke up for the second morning in a row in the 20s, and when the wind chill in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania was below zero, a famous and traditional weather forecaster predicted an extended winter Monday.
As confetti, rather than snow, fell over a crowd of thousands who didn't care about the cold at Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney Phil made his annual arrival on Monday — Groundhog Day — and reportedly saw his shadow around 7:20 a.m., in a "prediction" he has made annually since 1886.
Phil's "inner circle" — recognizable by their trademark black top hats and tuxedos — made the announcement to a modest chorus of boos from the crowd. If you've been really cold of late and could use a rosy warmup, take solace in this: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) puts his accuracy rate just under 40%.
According to lore, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter-like weather. If Phil does not see his shadow, he has predicted an "early spring." Including Monday, Phil had predicted an extended winter on seven of the last 10 Groundhog Days.
Despite Phil's prediction, a warmup is forecast for us, with high temperatures rising from 55 Monday to 63 Tuesday to 72 Wednesday, before the next cold front is expected to send daytime temps back to around 60 on Thursday. You don't need a rodent to tell you that?
Punxsutawney is northeast of Pittsburgh and northwest of State College, and the town of about 5,700 residents swells on this day every Feb. 2 to become the epicenter of weather predictions.
