No shadow: Pennsylvania groundhog ‘predicts’ early spring

As is tradition, if a groundhog sees its shadow it means winter will continue, while if it doesn’t, it means spring is on the way.

Thousands of people in the Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney are waiting for the annual weather prediction made by Punxsutawney Phil – a large rodent which emerges from its home with either good or bad news.

SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA (WECT) – “Punxsutawney Phil” may be the star of Groundhog Day, but Phil’s exclusive “Inner Circle” are important players too.

With cloudy skies forecast for western Pennsylvania on Tuesday morning, it’s unlikely famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow when he pops out of his burrow, meaning he won’t promptly rush back inside.

In New York, Staten Island Chuck agrees with Phil; an early spring is coming.

Today is Groundhog Day.

Did the groundhog see his shadow?’ The Democrat had gone to Iowa to stump for Hillary Clinton for that state’s caucus. De Blasio dropped the groundhog in 2014, the first year he attended the ceremony as mayor.

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?

The Groundhog Day Inner Circle group wanted to raise awareness for Buffalo and get more people to visit the third oldest zoo in the country. In other words, only 13 times did the national average temperature for the remainder of February match what would be expected based on what the groundhog predicted.

Of course, it’s common knowledge that Chuck and Phil have been played by various groundhogs over the decades, but the role comes with a record and reputation that its inheritors must uphold, and we stand by the validity of our analysis.

After last weekend’s mammouth snowstorm, everyone except for snow lovers may be wishing for an early spring.