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Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What is the significance of Groundhog Day?
CHICOPEE, Mass.(WWLP)– Groundhog Day is this weekend and on Sunday, Punxsutawney Phil will make his unofficial prediction on whether winter will continue or if spring will come early. But, just how accurate has the groundhog been over the years? The movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is definitely a fan favorite but not everybody is a fan of the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil and his annual prediction. PHOTOS: Eagle landing in Sunderland backyard Groundhog Day began as a German Pennsylvania custom in the 18th and 19 centuries but has its origins in ancient Europe. People supposedly watched hedgehogs or badgers to see if they saw their shadows on Candlemas Day, celebrated each February 2nd. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania held its first official Groundhog Day on February 2, 1887. And, according to folklore, if Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his hole and sees his shadow it frightens him and he goes back down into it, meaning six more weeks of winter. If he comes out and doesn't see his shadow, he stays out and spring weather will arrive early. According to the National Weather Service, over the last 10 years Phil's prediction has been right 30 percent of the time. Last year he was right, he didn't see his shadow and we experienced spring-like temperatures in February and March ahead of the official start of spring on March 19th. Sunday is Groundhog's Day and as weather forecasters we don't put much into the groundhog's prediction. And we can likely count on seeing more winter weather next month despite what Punxsutawney Phil predicts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day? Here's how he stacks up to weather-predicting animals.
In the cold early hours of Sunday, Feb. 2, the 'Seer of Seers' will emerge from his cozy burrow in Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., to proclaim whether or not there will be six more weeks of winter weather. That prognosticator is none other than Punxsutawney Phil — one of America's most beloved furry marmots. It works like this: If the sun is shining and Phil the groundhog does see his shadow, he takes that as 'an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole,' according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. If it's cloudy and Phil doesn't see his shadow, he will stay above ground, signifying there will be an early spring. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. While top-hatted clad members of Phil's 'inner circle' maintain that his predictions are always accurate, weather experts say the success rate of the 'weather prophet extraordinaire' who has been predicting since 1887, isn't always accurate, according to the Farmers' Almanac. While Phil is arguably the most well-known weather-predicting critter, he isn't the only one. Across the U.S. fellow groundhogs — living and taxidermied — plus a prairie dog statue, duck, alligator and turtle have joined in the fun tradition. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranked the accuracy of 19 of these critters based on the following criteria: They must have been prognosticating for at least 20 years and must have been active as of Feb. 2, 2024. Here are the results … drum roll, please: You may be surprised to find that Punxsutawney Phil landed at No. 17 out of 19 on the list, with 35% accuracy. Meanwhile, Staten Island Chuck, who lives in New York's Staten Island Zoo, won the top spot, with 85% accuracy. The runner-up was General Beauregard Lee from Georgia, with 80% accuracy. Lander Lil, which is a statue of a prairie dog that resides on the grounds of the local post office in Lander, Wy., also made the list, with 75% accuracy. Rounding out the bottom of the list at No. 19 was Mojave Max, a tortoise in Nevada, with 25% accuracy. Feb. 2 marks the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. The origins of Groundhog Day, marked every year on that same date, are connected to the ancient Pagan festival of Imbolc, which celebrates this midway point and the change of seasons. Groundhog Day is also rooted in an ancient European Christian celebration known as Candlemas Day (Feb. 2), which happens halfway through winter and spring. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem as a light to the people of Israel. Christians traditionally take their candles to church to be blessed and used for the rest of the year. The weather on Candlemas Day was also observed in order to predict the start of spring. According to an old English song: If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again. This is why, according to tradition, if it's a bright and sunny day and the groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it's a cloudy day and the groundhog doesn't see his shadow, there will be an early spring. In ancient European weather lore, people would also observe hibernating animals, like a bear or badger, to foretell the arrival of spring, according to the National Weather Service. When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700s, they also brought their Candlemas traditions and used animals to predict the weather. With no badgers to be found in Pennsylvania, they used groundhogs native to the area to do the prognosticating. In 1886, a local Punxsutawney newspaper editor, Clymer Freas, was also part of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, which started as a groundhog hunting club. Freas is credited with starting the holiday on Feb. 2, 1886, after he wrote an article in the Punxsutawney Spirit that claimed the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil could predict the weather. Phil's fame began to spread as other newspapers around the world started to report on his weather predictions. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney happened the very next year on Feb. 2, 1887, where the groundhog saw his shadow. Phil's weather predictions have exploded in popularity, especially after the 1993 film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray. Now thousands of people gather every year at Gobbler's Knob to witness what the 'Seer of Seers' has to proclaim.
Boston Globe
31-01-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
Will Phil predict an early spring this Groundhog Day?
Advertisement Phil's faithful followers travel far and wide and on the big day wait for hours in subfreezing temperatures to experience the more than century-old tradition of a groundhog's heralded appearance at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. Last year, Phil GHD dates back to the 19th century According to some historians, Groundhog Day dates back to the mid-1800s and has European roots. 'The groundhog tradition stems from beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people,' the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club A reference was found in an 1841 diary to groundhog weather forecasts in early February among families of German descent in Morgantown, Pa., according to the late Don Yoder, a University of Pennsylvania professor whose 2003 book about Groundhog Day explored the Celtic connection. The annual ritual stuck and keeps going to this day. Related : This quirky, fun-loving tradition exploded in popularity with the 1993 release of the classic comedy film 'Groundhog Day' starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Advertisement Being the original forecasting rodent, Phil has gotten to hog most of the limelight associated with predicting the weather. But over the years, many other states have turned to their own weather-forecasting critters. Forecast calls for clouds in Western Pa. Chances are so-so that Phil will see his shadow this year. In fact, he's seen it more often than not, based on historical records. 'If you go by statistics and history, about 80 percent of the time it's, 'My shadow I see, so six more weeks of winter it will be,'' said Thomas Dunkel, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. 'But you never know. In the last 10 years, we've had more 'no shadows' than we have had in any 10-year period of the Groundhog Club.' Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-20s around sunrise Sunday in Punxsutawney. High pressure will linger over Western Pennsylvania which will help hold off precipitation for the big event. Brisk wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour will send the wind chills into the teens. Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy at sunrise in Punxsutawney, Pa. Boston Globe How accurate is Phil? But just how accurate are these members of the squirrel family? Ms. G's handlers say she's been on target 64 percent of the time. Phil? Well, not that much. A Advertisement Researchers said that no one groundhog predicted the arrival of spring with any 'statistical significance.' NOAA's Last winter, for example, Phil predicted an early spring. But New England had it's fair share of snowfall in March and even some snow in early April. Longer winter or not, this season has so far been colder and snowier than last winter for New Englanders, although we're still continuing the overall trend of mild winters New England has seen over recent decades. 'This winter has been much closer to a typical winter season across the region, with more pockets of cold air moving through the region and producing more snowfall,' said Globe lead meteorologist Ken Mahan. 'It's been much closer to an average winter with temperatures at or slightly below average, a big difference from last year's record pace. 'Looking into February, we'll most likely see an active weather pattern, especially across interior New England, with more snow and some rain.' Phil has become a dad Phil and his mate Phyllis welcomed two furry babies soon after last year's Groundhog Day. They could eventually serve as the next prognosticators. Punxsutawney Phil's newborns in April 2024. Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Punxsutawney Phil's two babies as seen in May 2024. Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Marianne Mizera can be reached at
