Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow
Winter will be hanging around for another six weeks. Pennsylvania’s famed Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday. And for his effort, the rodent got booed by the crowd. About 18,000 people gathered before dawn around Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, about an hour from Pittsburgh, to learn what the four-legged prognosticator saw – or didn’t see. Legend says if Phil sees his shadow, winter will last another six weeks. If he doesn’t see his shadow, spring will arrive in the same time frame: six weeks. There is some hope though. “There is some winter left on the table, but not a full six weeks for most of the U.S.,” said Paul Pastelok, expert long-range meteorologist and leader of the AccuWeather.com Long-Range Forecasting Team. Pastelok said a severe cold snap is expected in the Great Lakes and Northeast with one or two big storms possible, but by the end of the month and through March, milder weather should predominate. Meanwhile, over in Woodstock, Illinois, where the 1993 film “Groundhog Day” was shot, Woodstock Willie predicted an early spring.
