Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?
Randy Mann.
JAKE PARRISH/Press
Sunday was Groundhog Day, and the world’s most famous groundhog of all time, Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania woodchuck, made his annual appearance. Each year, he is hauled out of his fake tree stump on Gobbler’s Knob, about 2 miles east of town, every Feb. 2 at precisely 7:25 a.m. to see if he can see his shadow. The town celebrates every Feb. 2 with a festive atmosphere of music and food. I managed to watch a live feed of this event, and it looked like it was great fun for many people.
According to folklore, if Phil catches or sees his shadow, he’s scared back into his den for six more weeks of slumber. The winter season, in turn, will drag on for at least another six weeks. If Phil does not see his shadow, then spring is right around the corner. Believe it or not, approximately 77% of the time, Phil sees his shadow. His longest stretch of seeing his shadow for 21 years. The streak was much shorter for Phil not seeing his shadow. That was two years between 2019 and 2020.
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