Will we have another six weeks of winter, or will spring come early? That’s right, folks – it’s Groundhog Day 2024!
The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a hibernating rodent in the Sciuridae family, a big group of ground squirrels.
Punxsutawney Phil is gearing up to make his annual weather prediction at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, this Friday, February 2nd. The small town, self-proclaimed as the ‘Weather Capital of the World,’ is hosting its 138th Groundhog Day celebration, and the excitement is palpable.
Will the groundhog see his shadow? If he does, it means six more weeks of winter. If not, well, you might not need to lace up those winter boots any longer.
So, whether you’re rooting for a cozy winter or dreaming of an early spring, all eyes are on Punxsutawney Phil for the verdict. Stay tuned for the groundhog’s shadow reveal – it might just influence your wardrobe choices for the coming weeks!”
The old farmer’s almanac predicts that due to overcast skies, the renowned weather prognosticator Punxsutawney will not see his shadow on Friday morning, hinting at an early spring. There’s even a chance of rain to usher in the beginning of the season.
The Groundhog Day festivities will be live-streamed on various networks, including the official U.S. Today YouTube channel, starting at 7:15 AM.
If you’re in Syracuse, you might be wondering when winter will truly kick in and when it will ease up. According to goldsnowball.com, the snowfall in Salt City has been quite mild this season, with only 27.9 inches recorded by February 1st. The recent light weather even forced the rescheduling of the Syracuse Pond Hockey Classic from Hiawatha Lake, which hadn’t frozen yet, to Clinton Square.
This keeps current trend. In 2023, Syracuse experienced its third warmest year in at least 120 years, with six of the top ten warmest years occurring since 2002. Despite its historical reputation as the snowiest city in America, recent winters have seen only 55 inches of snow – less than half the usual 128-inch average.
On the flip side, Buffalo is close to its annual snowfall average, credited to a massive winter storm that led to the delay of a Buffalo Bills game in January. Queen City has recorded 53.6 inches of snow for the 2023-2024 winter season, and according to the Golden Snowball, the normal average is 60 inches to date. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Phil, the groundhog from North Buffalo in western New York, saw his shadow last week. This means at least six more weeks of winter for Buffalo.
Anyway, the official start of spring for the year 2024 is technically on March 19th. The season officially kicks off with the vernal equinox.
Do you know the history of groundhog day?
History of Groundhog Day.
According to an old German tradition, if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2nd, winter will last for the next six weeks. If not, spring arrives early. (The holiday originally started in Europe as Candlemas Day, but German immigrants in Pennsylvania didn’t find hedgehogs, so they began using groundhogs.)
The Associated Press notes that the small weather forecaster’s prediction for Groundhog Day is actually decided before he “sees” his shadow. According to records, Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an extended winter over 100 times since 1887 and welcomed spring more than a dozen times.
NOAA also states that Phil’s shadow sightings have no real correlation with actual weather between February and March. Statistics show that the groundhog’s shadow is accurate in about 40 percent of cases.
Punxsutawney Phil doesn’t have a strong track record for weather forecasting in Syracuse and CNY either. From 2004 to 2013, there was no correlation between his predictions and actual weather: after the five warmest periods following February 2nd, Phil belatedly called for an early spring; during the coldest six-week period in 2007, he promised an early spring.
But this foolish tradition persists, partially popularized by the 1993 film “Groundhog Day.” Bill Murray portrayed the disgruntled weatherman Phil Connors, who found himself stuck in a time loop reliving the same day (February 2nd) repeatedly in Punxsutawney.
Holidays are not without controversy. The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has repeatedly urged the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to retire Punxsutawney Phil and replace him with an animatronic groundhog equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can provide more accurate weather predictions for the upcoming seasons.