Groundhog Day: Six more weeks of winter in 2008

The most famous groundhog in the world, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, six more weeks of winter.

Groundhog Day: Six more weeks of winter in 2008 Today was Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter in 2008. More than 30,000 people gathered in the central Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney to witness the event and cheer the most famous groundhog in the world. Punxsutawney Phil was taken out of the tree stump on a hill called Gobbler's Knob and brought to William Cooper, President of Punxsutawney's Inner Circle, who is the only one that could "speak" to the groundhog. Cooper read the prediction scroll: "As I look around me, a bright sky I see, and a shadow beside me. Six more weeks of winter it will be."

According to tradition, if the groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If the groundhog sees its shadow, it will return into its burrow, and the winter will continue for 6 more weeks. The earliest reference to Groundhog Day was made in 1841 and the tradition has been kept alive ever since. Most analysis claim that the groundhog has about 40% success rate in predicting the weather, which doesn't stop thousands of people from celebrating Groundhog Day every year.

Published on 02/02/2008