It's Groundhog Day! What Did Phil Predict?

"Did Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow?"

It's Groundhog Day! What Did Phil Predict?

Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees no shadow, predicts early spring!

The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said the furry rodent failed to see his shadow at dawn Tuesday, meaning he "predicted" an early spring.

Punxsutawney Phil announced his prediction in front of a crowd of thousands.

A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early.

The forecast was delivered with temperatures in the low 20s, on a clear day when the high temperature was expected to reach the unseasonably mild mid-40s.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pegs Phil's accuracy at about 45%.

Truth be told, Phil's handlers don't wait to see if he sees his shadow -- which he almost certainly would have Tuesday. Instead, the Inner Circle decide on the forecast ahead of time and announce it on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill near the town for which the groundhog is named, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 18 times. There are no records for the remaining years.
Tuesday's celebration was billed as the 130th forecast by Phil.

NOAA's October predictions for America's winter included colder and wetter than normal conditions for the Southeast, mild weather in the West and warmer weather in the Midwest and Northeast.

In New York, Staten Island Chuck agreed with Phil: An early spring is coming.

The groundhog did not see his shadow as he emerged from his home at the Staten Island Zoo early Tuesday.


Source:  FoxNews   
CNN
Published February 02, 2016
Associated Press