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. Groundhog handler AJ Derume holds Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow, predicting a late spring during the 136th annual Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 2022 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Every Feb. 2 since the 1880s, nationally known as Groundhog Day, it has been a tradition to wake Meteorologist Hall of Famer Punxsutawney Phil from a stump on Gobbler’s Knob at 7:25 a.m. EST to see his prediction on whether or not winter is almost over. Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow, then there will be six more weeks of winter. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club takes care of Phil year-round, and on each Feb. 2, members of the club's Inner Circle rouse Phil at sunrise (this year he emerged at 7:25 a.m. EST) to see if he 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. The people who take care of Phil, members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, however, insist that Phil’s predictions are 100% accurate. The first known record of Groundhog Day Is Punxsutawney Phil really the right guy for the job of weather forecaster? JEFF SWENSEN/GETTY IMAGES. Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog. He is a groundhog that predicts the weather. He is a groundhog who is only capable of predicting the weather once a year. All he does is answer one thing. Will spring come early, or will winter hang around for six more weeks? (If he sees his shadow, that Bill Deeley presents Punxsutawney Phil to the crowd during the 2003 Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. 14 of the groundhogs had 50% accuracy or better. Poor Punxsutawney Phil In Punxsutawney, 1886 marked the first time Groundhog Day appeared in the newspaper, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The following year brought the first official trek to Gobbler's Knob. 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. 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 Here's when Groundhog Day began: The first mention of Groundhog Day came in 1886 in Punxsutawney. Over the years, several other locations have begun using their own groundhog, including General Beauregard Lee of Atlanta, Dunkirk Dave of Dunkirk, New York, and Jimmy of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil might be the most known weather-predicting groundhog, but a new study is throwing shade on how much his predictions should be trusted. Phil did so poorly that Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger) 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 The Groundhog Day gathering has become a cornerstone event in Punxsutawney, which has marked the occasion every year since mention of the holiday first appeared in 1886 in the local newspaper Groundhog handler AJ Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, who did not see his shadow, during the 134th annual Groundhog Day festivities on Feb. 2, 2020, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney Phil is the best-known groundhog who has been making predictions since 1886, according to Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The Groundhog Day tradition as we know it dates to 1887. "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,“ they wrote. 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.
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