Although he is not the most accurate seasonal prognosticator, we would be remiss not to honor the longest-running weather-forecasting groundhog in the United States, Punxsutawney Phil. A beloved national celebrity, legend has it that he has been prophesying when spring would arrive from his burrow on Gobler’s Knob since 1887. If Lander Lil "sees" a shadow on Groundhog Day, then more winter is expected. How Punxsutawney Phil fared Overall, 14 of the groundhogs had 50% accuracy or better. But over the last 10 years, the groundhog has been correct only two other times: 2020 and 2015, resulting in an accuracy rate of 30%. In fairness to Phil, climatology isn't for the faint of heart. NOAA released a study of Groundhog Day predictions and found Punxsutawney Phil to be the 17th most accurate groundhog in the United States. Phil's accuracy was just 35% f rom 2005 to 2024, according to data compiled by NOAA. Here's when Groundhog Day began: The first mention of Groundhog Day came in 1886 in Punxsutawney. Each Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction about a late end to winter weather or early start to spring temperatures. Here's how accurate his forecasts have been over the years. In the near term, the groundhog’s accuracy rate is slightly worse. According to the NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, Phil has been right about 30% of the time over the past decade. ANIMALS OTHER THAN PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL THAT WILL TRY TO PREDICT END OF WINTER ON GROUNDHOG DAY. In 2021, Phil predicted more winter. As we approach Groundhog Day on Feb. 2, everyone is eager to know if we can expect spring weather sooner rather than later. Legend has it that if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we’re in for Phil’s accuracy issues don’t detract from what Groundhog Day is really about. It’s a massive festival event in Punxsutawney filled with music, celebrations and tourism dollars. The famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil gives us his weather prediction every February 2, but historically, the results usually aren't accurate. In 1979, the Ohio legislature named him the official groundhog for the Buckeye State, per Groundhog-Day.com. How accurate is Phil? How accurate is Chuck? As Groundhog Day approaches, all eyes are on Phil, but the pressure is on as the famous groundhog has a not-so-great accuracy rate. According to the StormFax Weather Almanac , Phil has an overall Groundhog Day is almost here: What to know about the rodent, the shadow, and the weather Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous weather-predicting rodent, but he apparently isn't the most accurate. yeah, so rightfully so. the day actually originated in pennsylvania and in punxsutawney. groundhog day isn’t just one day for the city’s groundhog club. it’s marked by a multi day celebration that even includes a groundhog ball. and this year will be extra special day for phil, as it’s his first groundhog day as a father here in alabama. Here's the forecast for Sunday morning: Cloudy conditions and chilly temperatures in the upper-20s are expected in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania when Phil makes his prediction around 7:08 a.m. ET Groundhog Day is this weekend so let’s review how accurate the groundhog is! This year, NOAA took a deeper dive into Groundhog Day results and graded the work of 19 groundhogs and groundhog surrogates to determine the accuracy of their predictions. Spoiler: Phil came in The NOAA recently posted a Grading the Groundhogs study on their website, which they wrote is “in honor of Groundhog Day and in the spirit of fun,” comparing the accuracy of Groundhog Day Which 'groundhogs' are best at Feb. 2 predictions of more winter? New York's Staten Island Chuck topped NOAA's list with an 85% accuracy rate, followed by Georgia's General Beauregard Lee in Groundhog Day has both Pagan and Christian roots all the way back to the 18 th and 19 th centuries, and even medieval times. In Europe, early Christians held a holiday to bless the candles for the
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