Groundhog Day: Did Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow?

The results are in from Punxsutawney, Pa., and Phil the groundhog saw his shadow—so if his prediction holds, we could be in for six more weeks of winter.

Phil's tweet this morning: A terrifying shadow = 6 more weeks of winter! 

That's usually bad news, but with so few truly cold days this year, it might be exactly what those who enjoy winter sports and recreation are hoping for. Indeed, continued Phil, No complaining. We haven’t even had winter yet.

This year's prediction aside, how did such an unassuming creature, whose yearly prediction is accurate only 39 percent of the time, become the center of such an enduring tradition? As it turns out, Phil and his counterparts have been predicting the weather for quite some time—since 1887, according to an article in the Huffington Post. And though the tradition’s origins are unclear, it is believed to have come from ancient European weather lore in which a badger or sacred bear predicted the weather. The tradition also has religious origins, as it shares similarities with Candlemas Day, which is also on Feb. 2.

But that’s not the whole story of Phil, his lore or his longevity—not even close. Other facts of note, gathered from various resources, include:

• There’s only one Phil. Although groundhogs live for around 10 years in captivity, Phil loyalists insist there has only been one Punxsutawney Phil since his first appearance in the 1880s. According to the official website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil is given a sip of special groundhog punch every year, which extends his life and allows him to keep making predictions. (csmonitor.com)

• The average groundhog is 20 inches long and normally weighs from 12 to 15 pounds. Punxsutawney Phil weighs about 20 pounds and is 22 inches long. (groundhog.org)

• The National Climatic Data Center reportedly stated that Phil's predictions have been correct 39 percent of the time. This number is in conflict with Phil's club, which states he's been right 100 percent of the time. (Huffington Post)

• In the years following the release of the film Groundhog Day, crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have visited Gobbler's Knob, the tiny hill in Punxsutawney where the yearly ceremony takes place. (Huffington Post)

• He may be older than your grandpa’s grandpa, but Phil has adapted with the times. He broke telecommunications ground for rodents in 2010 by allowing people to sign up for a text message notification of his prediction and also updates his Facebook status and tweets his prediction, as he did this morning. (csmonitor.com)

Now back to today's prediction. What did you think? Take our poll and let us know.