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More winter weather, Punxsutawney Phil predicts
[Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET] If you were hoping to be done with winter, Punxsutawney Phil had some bad news for you on Thursday.
After the groundhog was summoned from his burrow at the Gobbler's Knob hill in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, observers proclaimed that "the prognosticator of all prognosticators" had seen his shadow.
"Many shadows do I see, six more weeks of winter it must be," a member of Phil's "Inner Circle" said as a crowd erupted in boos.
The tradition goes back to medieval times when there was a superstition that all hibernating animals emerged from their caves and dens to check the weather on Candlemas, which is halfway between the winter solstice in December and the vernal equinox in March. If the animals saw their shadows, winter would go on for another six weeks, and they could go back to sleep, according to the tradition.
But if there was no shadow, spring would come early, according to the tradition.
Not every groundhog agreed with Phil on Thursday. At New York's Staten Island Zoo, for example, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told several hundred observers that Staten Island Chuck didn't see his shadow, and that therefore an early spring was on its way.
The Staten Island event has happened for 31 years. Punxsutawney's celebration goes back 126 years.
Up to 18,000 people attended the Punxsutawney event Thursday, CNN affiliate WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh reported. The annual celebration 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, starting with various events the weekend before Groundhog Day, provides a sizable boost to the local economy. As many as 30,000 visitors come to town for the event on any given year, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office's Quinn Bryner said.
The 2,600 rooms available for guests in Jefferson County and surrounding counties usually sell out, Bryner said. And the event adds $1 million to the area each year, according to the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce.
Much of the United States has seen an unseasonably warm winter, so Phil's prediction may come as a surprise to some.
How much stock would you put in this year's prognostication?
Here's what Phil indicated in the last few years, according to Groundhog.org:
2011:Â "No shadow, spring is near!"
2010:Â "Phil saw his shadow and told his prediction to new Inner Circle President Bill Deeley."
2009:Â "Phil saw his shadow and Inner Circle President Bill Cooper completed his final interpretation and retired at Gobbler's Knob. It was 7:26 a.m."
2008:Â "It was 29 degrees. In front of one of the largest crowds ever at Gobbler's."
On Twitter
Punxsutawney Phil, Wives and computers are never wrong.
LOL Wayne!
You forgot to add politicians and teenage children into that mix.
How is it unemployment is at 9% and this useless rat still has a job?
Affirmative action.
He makes 268 million a year, has a golden parachute, and his burrow looks like Trump’s NY apartment; He’s headed down to hang out with his GOP cronies right now, on a private plane he’s using as a corporate write off.
He gets up in the morning the 9% stay in bed.
I wonder if he knows how to use the reply button.
somebody shoot the rat so this bad scene, play out year after year, will end.
hmm... I bet they have gone through more than one 'P Phil' since the tradition started. They might have another one trained and ready to go right now!
Phil could be very off the mark this year! Here in the NYC area, it was 60 yesterday, very few cold days and this morning, I'm hearing birds outside that I normally don't hear for about another month and a half.
What winter?
It was 61 degrees yesterday here in PA.
There were moths fluttering around our door light!
Some of the tulips are tipping.
Punxsutawney Phil is trippin'.
I don't know about his weather predictions, but that is one adorable critter. 🙂
I think it is time to retire the silly groundhog and just continue with just the party.
Please someone retire that groundhog and let's end this nonsense.
Has anybody told Phil about global warming yet?
Gobblers knob?
Yes that is the name of the place... hehe
I wasn’t going to comment on that….LMAO!
Why are people commenting here so against Groundhog Day? Why does it bother you so much? It brings it some much needed tourism to Punxsutawney. If you don't like it, you don't have to go to Punxsutawney or read news stories about it or watch it on the news. Let the people have their fun.
Because they are unhappy people who believe the only thing in life that matters is making money. Or they are jealous of others' happiness.
Fun stuff.....Didn't Bill Murray have a say in this?
No, but Ned Ryerson did. I believe his words were, "Bing!"
It’s a cute and harmless tradition…
If people are getting their weather information from a rodent, they have far bigger problems…
I still like the name “Gobbler’s Knob
Obama? Why can't he look at his shadow?
Yes, thank you for those insightful words. Rush Limbaugh will be sending over a contract for you to write talking points for him.
@Joe T.
Rush couldn't afford me. I wouldn't get paid half of what I'm worth.
Because he's not a rodent. On the other hand, when Phil dies You can move to Punxutawney and take his place.
Another hate filled life. Congratulations, Nutcase.
IIf Obama comes out of the white house and sees his shadow, we have one more year of unemployment!
Why, you ask? Because he's too busy doing his job AND watching the repubtards slurp up the GOP kool-aid.
Whatever your alleged financial worth, Jeff Frank, you're still an ignorant racist.
Nice work throwing out a blind accusation, hecep. I saw nothing racist in Jeff's comment. You are the hateful, vindictive swine here.
@Bombo: Everyone else here knows exactly what Frank the Racist was talking about. You are just too stupid and insular to see it. God, I'm glad that I'm not you!