Punxsutawney Phil, the rodent, the myth, the Groundhog Day legend, is gearing up to make his annual prediction early Monday morning, LIVE from the Keystone State. What will he see at the break of dawn on February 2?! Will there be a shadow sighting, thus signaling six more weeks of winter? Or will he foresee an early spring, a respite from the snow and bitter cold? Only Punxsutawney Phil can say for sure. Groundhog Day, of course, is when the affable, rotund rodent that gives the fun “holiday” its name emerges from Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. He either sees his shadow or he doesn’t. A lot rides on this. If there’s a Phil shadow sighting at daybreak tomorrow, six more weeks of winter will follow. No shadow? Early spring baby! In the last 117 years, Punxsutawney Phil has predicted the coming of “early spring” a mere 16 times, not a big surprise since he lives in Western Pennsylvania. One of those times was 2013, when he projected an early spring, only to see record snowfall totals fall on much of the U.S. not even a week later. Punxsutawney Phil actually got sued by one Ohio county as a result of this call, although his handler took the blame and the case never made it to court. It’s a cautionary tale, however, and a reminder that even the best of us have an off year, no matter what we do. We are only human. Or groundhogs. The prognosticator bounced back strong in 2014, predicting six more weeks of winter, which very much happened. Will this year follow a similar pattern? Punxsutawney Phil: Weather Shot-Caller 1. Bow Down to the Prognosticator! Check out this awesome Groundhog Day photo. What a spectacle. Hopefully, Phil doesn’t stay up too late watching the Super Bowl. We need him on his game, although this may be shaping up to be an easy call for him. The current forecast for Monday a.m.: Winter Storm Linus pummeling much of the East Coast. Seems like the die is cast, but you never know. Only Phil does. All we mere mortals can do is sit back, relive some of the best Groundhog Day quotes from that classic movie and share your Groundhog Day prediction: SHADOW (winter to continue) NO SHADOW (early spring) View Poll »
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Punxsutawney Phil: Groundhog Day Weather King Set to Nail it This Year?
