Groundhogs Across The U.S. And Canada Are Giving Mixed Signals
It’s Groundhogs Day and Punxutawney Phil saw his shadow Thursday morning, which means six more weeks of winter. Members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle recited the news through a traditional poem:
“It’s mighty cold weather, you’ve been braving,” this year’s verse read. “Is it more winter or is it spring that you’re craving? Since you’ve been up all night and starting to tottle, I, Punxsutawney Phil, shall not dawdle,” the proclamation read. “My faithful followers, I could clearly see a beautiful, perfect shadow of me. Six more weeks of winter, it shall be!”
Accoring to AP reports, records show Phil has predicted winter 102 times more than early spring (18) since 1887. But he wasn’t the only groundhog predicting more freezing weather.
Dunkirk Dave predicted six more weeks of winter after emerging in Dunkirk, New York. Dave, who is actually a female named Sidewinder, is supposedly the world’s second-longest predicting groundhog.
Across the world other groundhogs disagreed with Dave and Phil. At Georgia’s Yellow River Game Ranch in Gwinnett County, Gen. Beauregard Lee predicted an early spring. On a side note Lee also predicted the Atlanta Falcons will win the Super Bowl.
Traditionally the Groundhog Day German legend says if a groundhog casts a shadow on Feb. 2 then winter continues. If no shadow is cast then spring comes early.
According to the Weather Channel, the cities with the highest percentage of season snowfall after Groundhog Day are New York City and Philadelphia. Usually half of their season’s snow comes after Feb. 2.
Here are a few other predictions from groundhogs throughout the U.S. and Canada, per the Weather Channel:
- Chattanooga Chuck (Tennessee) – early spring
- Malverne Mel (New York) – early spring
- Buckeye Chuck (Ohio) – six more weeks of winter
- Jimmy the Groundhog (Wisconsin) – six more weeks of winter
- Wiarton Willie (Ontario) – early spring
- Shubenacadie Sam (Nova Scotia) – early spring
- Fred la marmotte (Quebec) – early spring
