PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa.-- PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa.
(AP) — Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary groundhog that lives in a tree stump in rural Pennsylvania, has issued the most highly anticipated weather forecast of the season: six more weeks of winter.The groundhog’s forecast was announced Monday by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in rural Pennsylvania.When Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter.
If he hadn’t seen his shadow, that would have foretold an early arrival of spring.This event at Gobbler’s Knob dates back over a century and has ties to ancient European farming traditions.The festivities have grown since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day.”The Latest: Michael Venos, who tracks Groundhog Day predictions at countdowntogroundhogday.com, said the early results Monday indicated a split verdict.Agreeing with Punxsutawney Phil that more winter weather is on the way this year are General Beauregard Lee, a Georgia groundhog; and groundhog mascot Dover Doug in Pennsylvania.
Also in the “more winter” camp are That Dog Named Gidget, a Havanese in New York; and opossum Birmingham Jill in Alabama.Those predicting an early spring include groundhogs Buckeye Chuck in Ohio; Fig Newton in North Carolina; and Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia.They are joined by Benny the Bass, a fish in Ohio; and Pennsylvania ferret Jessup Giuseppe.That’s just the start — Venos expects to tally about 100 events.
Punxsutawney Phil is predicting six more weeks of winter after his handlers said he saw his shadow outside his tree stump on Gobbler’s Knob.The groundhog’s forecast was announced Monday by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in rural Pennsylvania.When Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter.If he hadn’t seen his shadow, that would have foretold an early arrival of spring.Icy temperatures Monday kept the crowd bundled up — by all accounts the mercury remained in the low single digits in the hours before the prognostication.Dance music and probably a...