Happy Groundhog Day 2023! Did Phil see his Shadow?
We’re dealing with some seriously cold weather, give us good news Phil! Happy Groundhog Day, will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow? Unfortunately, according to fox2detroit.com, Phil saw his shadow. And as the lore goes, that means six more weeks of winter.
Phil’s handler read this scroll early Thursday morning:
“I see that everyone knows their part, and I am merely the sage, but above all else, I see a shadow on my stage. And so, no matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter weather,”
Phil has been predicting long winters for the last 2 years. 2020 was the last time he saw an early spring. But as history goes, Phil has predicted way more winters than springs. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club keeps records of all of Phil’s predictions. Phil has predicted 107 continued winters and 23 early springs as of 2023. Stormfax.com gives Phil a 39% accuracy rating.
The Farmer’s Almanac gives about a 72% accuracy rating, so Phil is not doing too badly. I feel though that 23 springs seems like an awfully low and depressing number. As Phil, played by Bill Murray, in Groundhog’s Day says:
“You want a prediction about the weather, you’re asking the wrong Phil. I’ll give you a winter prediction: It’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be grey, and it’s gonna last you for the rest of your life.”
I mean according to those numbers, he’s not wrong! That’s 107 years of cold winters.
However, luckily, mother nature does not bend to the will of Phil. Unless the weather vastly alters in the next few days, we have a warm week coming ahead of us. Temperatures in the 40s.
Germans brought the idea of predicting the weather with a groundhog when they settled in Punxsutawney in the 1800s. Groundhog Day did not become recognized until Feb 2, 1887. And like 106 other times, Phil predicted a long winter.
Now, on the other hand, Michigan’s own Woody the Woodchuck predicted an early Spring!
Happy Groundhog or Woodchuck day everyone!
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