Groundhog Day 2018: Punxsutawney Phil spots shadow and forecasts six more weeks of winter

Source: washpost


by Jason Samenow February 2 at 7:22 AM Email the author
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Punxsutawney Phil forecasts six more weeks of winter


Hang on to your warm furry hats.

Punxsutawney Phil, the worlds most celebrated groundhog, gazed at the ground and beheld his shadow Friday morning. This means six more weeks of frigid winter if you trust the weather forecasting skills of this oversized rodent.

Had the mangy marmot not spotted his shadow, it would have signaled spring is around the corner, folklore assures.

The groundhog crawled out of his hole to issue his prediction just before 7:25 a.m. as the sun rose at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. How he managed to see his shadow with clouds blocking the sun is a bit of a mystery. Thousands of merry witnesses watched the spectacle, unfazed by the biting wind, blowing snow and bone-chilling temperatures in the teens.

Since his first prediction in 1887, Phil has spotted his shadow 104 times, counting this year, while it has eluded him on just 18 occasions. Ten years are missing from the record, but Phil has issued forecasts without exception..............................

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/02/02/groundhog-day-2018-punxsutawney-phil-spots-shadow-and-forecasts-six-more-weeks-of-winter/?utm_term=.f9d30281c675

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It is MINUS 13 right now in mid Wisconsin. Been very cold.




https://screenshots.firefox.com/6Bw9FdjP9qHBKneD/www.washingtonpost.com
Punxsutawney Phil, the worlds most celebrated groundhog, saw his shadow on Feb. 2, forecasting six more weeks of winter. (Reuters)

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