Groundhog Day – It’s the second day of February and today’s the celebration of the Groundhog Day, a holiday which entails weather prognostication.

According to myths, if a groundhog rising from its burrow during the day didn’t see its shadow, it will leave the burrow, thus signifies an early spring. However, if the groundhog sees its shadow, it will retreat into its burrow, and winter will persist for six more weeks.

At this moment, the groundhogs have spoken.

Punxsutawney Phil, the most legendary winter-predicting groundhog from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, did see his shadow.

Every year, Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announces Phil’s forecast at dawn on Gobbler’s Knob, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

In a report by NBC, the group ICPGC said that, “Since 1887, Phil has predicted more winter weather by seeing his shadow nearly 100 times, but there are no records for nine years.”

Thus, winter in Pennsylvania will continue for 6 more weeks. Other known groundhogs like Wiarton Willie (Wiarton, Ontario), Malverne Mel (Malverne, New York), Shubenacadie Sam (Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia), and Spanish Joe (Spanish, Ontario), has the same forecast.

While other famous squirrels Jimmy the Groundhog (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin), Staten Island Chuck (Staten Island, New York City), Woodstock Willie (Woodstock, Illinois), General Beauregard Lee (Snellville, Georgia), Dunkirk Dave (Dunkirk, New York), and Buckeye Chuck (Marion, Ohio) predicted an early spring.

Experts revealed that rodents’ forecast are 75% to 90% accurate.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Photo credits: Google