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. 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. *Note that some groundhogs did not make predictions every year in the past 20 years. Special Mention: Punxsatawney Phil. 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. "Even if you flip a coin, you'll still be right close to half of the time. That's a 50% percent accuracy rate. So you'll be better off flipping a coin than going by the groundhog's predictions." Ouch. NOAA released the study ahead of Groundhog Day, which falls on Sunday, to analyze which groundhogs -- along with one prairie dog statue and a tortoise -- were the most accurate in predicting 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. 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. Every Feb. 2, the world's most famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil rises from its burrow in Pennsylvania for Groundhog Day to give the prediction on what type of weather the U.S. could expect to 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. Groundhog Day 2024: Statistics say not so much: Phil's accuracy rate is about 40% over the last decade. "Groundhog Day is really a holiday about sex," he adds. Here's what the weather forecast shows for Punxsutawney Phil's prediction for Groundhog Day on Sunday morning. Phil's accuracy was just 35% How Katy Perry really feels about Carrie 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 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? 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. 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. 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) 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 (Pennsylvania German Will is adamant that Dunkirk Dave does not actually predict Part of the problem with pinning down an accuracy rate for the Groundhog Day is this weekend so let's review how accurate the groundhog is! Groundhog Day is this weekend so let’s review how accurate the groundhog is! Did the Biden admin actually send Groundhog Day events often include music, food, and games, making it a fun-filled day for families. Some schools and communities hold educational programs to teach children about groundhogs and the history of Groundhog Day. Accuracy of Groundhog Predictions. How accurate are these furry forecasters?
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