The nation’s most famous forecasting furball, Punxsutawney Phil, made it official at Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania: he saw his shadow, calling for six more weeks of winter. He wasn’t the only groundhog to predict that. General Beauregard Lee checked in from Dauset Trails Nature Center in Jackson and sided with winter, seeing his shadow and signaling six more weeks of cold. His handlers summed it up poetically: “Keep the kettles on and the fires steady, spring will come, but she’s not quite ready.”
At North Georgia Wildlife & Safari Park in White County, Yonah the Groundhog delivered a much warmer message, declaring an early spring. Yonah, named for Yonah Mountain near Cleveland and Helen, is technically still in his hibernation period but graciously woke up for the occasion, motivated by snacks and cuddles.
Groundhog Day tradition
The ritual of groundhogs predicting weather dates back more than a century and surged in popularity after the 1993 Bill Murray film Groundhog Day. Phil, by far the most famous of the States’ prognisticators is greeted each year by a huge crowd. Monday morning, thousands of people bundled up in single-digit temperatures for the annual announcement. The crowd cheered, booed, and danced as the top-hatted handlers revealed Phil’s prediction.
Phil’s handlers insist his winks, purrs, and nods are carefully translated from “groundhogese.” Meteorologists, meanwhile, say the near-term forecast supports his chilly outlook.
In Georgia, children cheered, and adults booed as Beau delivered his verdict.
Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Whether you’re Team Phil and Beau or Team Yonah, one thing is certain: spring will arrive eventually. The only real mystery is what kind of weather will show up between now and then.
The Associate Press contributed to this report
