It’s Groundhog Day, and according to tradition, we’ll get six more weeks of winter since Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning.
Phil climbed up out of his burrow during the rough midway point of astronomical winter at 7:20 a.m. today to see what he can see, or not see. Weather conditions can play a role in his verdict.
According to the legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow, then there will be six more weeks of winter. But if he doesn’t, then early spring and above-average temperatures are on the way.
Overall, the groundhog is not very accurate, and NOAA said Punxsutawney Phil has “no predictive skill.”
Based on data from 1887 to 2021, Punxsutawney Phil is more likely to see his shadow. Phil has seen his shadow 105 times, with no shadow 20 times (ten years of data is missing).
Phil saw his shadow again and declared six more weeks of winter in last year’s verdict. His prediction was then followed by the 19th coldest February on record in the Lower 48.
However, forecasts are showing a powerful storm brewing that threatens to bring a potentially crippling combination of snow and ice across much of the US. More than 90 million people are currently under winter weather alerts from the Rockies to New England.
