One of the most famous wild animals in a Great Lakes state gets the environmental spotlight today. Phil, a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pa., has predicted winter’s future for more than 125 years.
The real Phil. Photo: Carol Terracina Hartman.
Since 1886 the town has celebrated Phil’s waking. Groundhog’s Day events there this year include Oreo stacking and a walking tour of sculptures of the little guy. Thousands of people nationwide participate, according to the event’s official website.
The events only break when Phil comes out of his burrow at Gobbler’s Knob. If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, then an early spring is in the future. And, yes, he is right 100 percent of the time.
Organizers claim Phil is the only real weather-predicting groundhog and the rest are impostors. The secret to his longevity: Every summer he drinks the “elixir of life” at the groundhog picnic and lives for seven more years.
Check out a live webcast of Phil looking for his shadow.
Don’t like relying on a groundhog for a weather forecast? Check out the Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System.