It's that time of year again -- the time when a furry little rodent prognosticates on our weather, sentencing us to either six more weeks of miserable winter or giving us an early spring reprieve. That's right, it's Groundhog Day! If you need a refresher on the holiday it goes something like this: if the groundhog sees his shadow six more weeks of winter are on the way, but if he emerges from his hole sans shadow then we're in for an early spring.
Groundhog Day, which dates back to the mid-19th century, is thought to have its origins in ancient European weather lore, in which a badger or sacred bear was used to predict the weather instead of a groundhog. The holiday also shares similarities with the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas, which was also celebrated on February 2nd. Although there are Groundhog's Day celebrations throughout the United States and Canada, by far the largest is in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which has officially celebrated the holiday since 1886. Featured in the 1993 Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day and home to Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog weatherman, the town draws crowds as large as 40,000 for its Groundhog Day festivities. Gobbler's Knob, the tiny hill where Punxsutawney Phil checks for his shadow, has even become a popular tourist spot all year round.
But just how accurate are these groundhog weather predictions? Groundhog Day proponents say that their furry friends are accurate 90% of the time, while the National Climatic Data Center puts the accuracy rate around 39%. Punxsutawney Phil's fan club takes issue with both accuracy rates, insisting that his predictions have been correct 100% of the time. With all of the intense winter weather that has been battering much of the country, let's hope that Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow this year -- and that his prediction is correct.
Punxsutawney: Quick Facts
Population (2009): 5,864
Median Household income (2009): $30,116
Median House/condo value (2009): $68,060
Median Gross rent (2008): $1,269
Population Density: 1717 people per square mile
Nearest city with population 50,000+: Philadelphia, PA (211.9 miles)
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