The world's furriest weatherman will make his appearance Feb. 2, as Punxsutawney Phil ushers in the celebration of Ground Hog Day 2018.
Thousands will gather Friday at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to await the spring forecast from the world's most famous groundhog. In keeping with tradition, the event includes Phil emerging from his simulated tree trunk home and looking for his shadow. Tradition holds that if Phil sees his shadow, the U.S. is in store for six more weeks of winter weather; if Phil doesn't see his shadow, you can expect warmer temperatures and an early arrival of spring.
Groundhog Day 2018
Groundhog Day - specifically Feb. 2 - traces its roots back to an ancient celebration of the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. According to legend, a sunny sky on that day signifies a stormy and cold second half of winter while a cloudy sky indicates the arrival of warm weather.
Groundhog Day 2018
In 1887, Clymer H. Freas, city editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper, was inspired by a group of local groundhog hunters to form the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club with Phil as America's official forecasting groundhog. Phil's fame grew and soon, people around the country began looking to him for weather predictions.Groundhog Day 2018
Those predictions have been overwhelmingly in favor of more winter.
How accurate are Groundhog Day results? Groundhog Day 2018
Groundhog Day 2018
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that Punxsutawney Phil, despite his fame, has “no predictive skill.” Rude.
Last year, for example, Phil saw his shadow, suggesting six more weeks of winter. And yet both February, as well as March temperatures, were above average.
StormFax.com, which is also tracking the results of Phil’s predictions, show the woodchuck has only been correct 39 percent of the time since 1887.
When was the first Groundhog Day?
The first Groundhog Day was celebrated officially at Gobler’s Knob, Punxsutawney on February 2, 1887.
Local newspaper editor Clymer Freas came up with the idea after saying that Phil was America’s official groundhog meteorologist.
Groundhog Day actor Bill Murray GETTY Groundhog Day 2018
Bill Murray played a weatherman trapped in a time warp in the film Groundhog Day
He planted the idea in several stories until other newspapers picked up the folklore, spreading the idea to other parts of the US and Canada.
How many times has Phil been right?
Groundhog Day 2018
It has not been the same Phil who has been predicting the weather all these years as groundhogs in captivity only live between nine and 14 years.
But according to the Groundhog Club's records, Phil has seen his own shadow 103 times and saw no shadow 18 times between 1887 and 2017.
How accurate are Groundhog Day results?
A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that Punxsutawney Phil, despite his fame, has “no predictive skill.” Rude.Last year, for example, Phil saw his shadow, suggesting six more weeks of winter. And yet both February, as well as March temperatures, were above average.
StormFax.com, which is also tracking the results of Phil’s predictions, show the woodchuck has only been correct 39 percent of the time since 1887.
Groundhog Day 2018
Where does the groundhog see its shadow?
Cities around the country now celebrate Groundhog Day with their own community groundhogs. But the most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, lives in the woodsy area of Gobbler’s Knob, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
If you can’t visit in person, a live-stream is scheduled to start at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, February 2.
How does Groundhog Day work?
Groundhog Day is a madcap tradition that, believe it or not, once had nothing to do with rodents. According to TIME, the meaning of Groundhog Day was once rooted in an ancient Christian holiday known as Candlemas.Halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, clergymen would distribute candles to help people get through the rest of winter. If, on this day, the weather was sunny, more stormy winter weather was ahead. If the skies were cloudy, on the other hand, spring was not far away.
Our modern Groundhog Day started when early German settlers in Pennsylvania adapted the legend to incorporate the common local groundhogs.
Groundhog Day 2018 Prediction
The Weather Channel is forecasting cloudy skies on Friday morning which a chance of snow, meaning it’s unlikely Phil will see his shadow. If this prediction is correct, winter could be over very soon.Groundhog Day 2018
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