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Feb 02 2010

Punxsutawney Phil: 6 More Weeks of Winter

Category: Groundhog Day — admin @ 11:59 am

Punxsutawney Phil: 6 More Weeks of Winter

Punxsutawney Phil: 6 more weeks of winter

msnbc.com news services

updated 2 hours, 17 minutes ago

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - The world’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, emerged before chilly revelers in western Pennsylvania on Tuesday to see his shadow, a sign his handlers say means winter will last another six weeks.

Some 12,000 people gathered before dawn to await his weather forecast. They came from as far as Chile and the Netherlands, braving a chilly 18 degrees Fahrenheit to see the more than century-old ritual.

German tradition holds that if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says spring will come early.

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

The Groundhog Club says that since 1887 Phil and his predecessors have predicted more winter weather by seeing their shadow nearly 100 times, but there are no records for nine years.

Several other Groundhog Day celebrations are held around the United States. A high-profile rival delivered a different prediction on Tuesday, with New York City media reporting that “Staten Island Chuck” did not see his shadow.

Thousands gather before dawn to witness Pa. groundhog’s forecast

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35194650/ns/weather/