Punxsutawney Phil says early Spring

[Hum]

(CNN) -- If you were hoping to be done with winter, Punxsutawney Phil had some good news for you -- spring is on the way.

After the groundhog was summoned from his burrow at the Gobbler's Knob hill in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, observers proclaimed that "the prognosticator of all prognosticators" had not seen his shadow.

Meanwhile, at New York's Staten Island Zoo, fellow groundhog Staten Island Chuck also didn't see his shadow, agreeing that an early spring was on its way.

The Staten Island event has happened for 32 years. Punxsutawney's celebration goes back 127 years.

The tradition goes back to medieval times when there was a superstition that all hibernating animals emerged from their caves and dens to check the weather on Candlemas, which is halfway between the winter solstice in December and the vernal equinox in March. If the animals saw their shadows, winter would go on for another six weeks, and they could go back to sleep, according to the tradition.

Much of the United States has seen extreme highs and lows in temperatures in recent weeks, taking folks from shorts and T-shirt weather to conditions that require heavy coats and gloves.

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[neufuse Veteran]

and if you want a mad house, live near Punxy, I live not far from there and all our hotels are packed due to all the people partying up there today

[DocM]

Yup, great fun :)

[Hum]

I think Phil's been smokin' too much wacky weed, this time. ;)

[FloatingFatMan]

and if you want a mad house, live near Punxy, I live not far from there and all our hotels are packed due to all the people partying up there today

Anything like the movie, Groundhog Day (apart from the timeloop stuff :p )?

[neufuse Veteran]

Anything like the movie, Groundhog Day (apart from the timeloop stuff :p )?

honestly, never watched the movie :rofl:

[Hum]

^ Brian Doyle-Murray did a better job than the Official I saw reading the 'scroll' today. :laugh:

[remixedcat]

ummm we had enough spring.... pleh... who belives the groundhog anyways.... FEED HIM TO THE CATS ALLREADY. he's worthless.

he said last year we would have more winter.... pleh. it was spring and summer all year last year.

[xendrome]

Shall I move to "It's a Conspiracy" :) lol

1000 kaabillionmetapetaflops of computing power on the planet working on weather modeling/forecasting, and we use a scared to death grondhog seeing his shadow, which is technically impossible cause there are 100000 bagillion lights pointing from all directions at him, to tell the weather....

[DocM]

You know as well as we do the weather / groundhog is just an excuse break out the brats, beer & 'tater salad (Y)

[neufuse Veteran]

You know as well as we do the weather / groundhog is just an excuse break out the brats, beer & 'tater salad (Y)

yep, it is german in origin from the germans that settled in the area... based around the whole Candlemas starting on feb 2nd

[Colin McGregor]

yay, I get to go back to riding my motorcycle. I was getting sick of my car already.

Shall I move to "It's a Conspiracy" :) lol

1000 kaabillionmetapetaflops of computing power on the planet working on weather modeling/forecasting, and we use a scared to death grondhog seeing his shadow, which is technically impossible cause there are 100000 bagillion lights pointing from all directions at him, to tell the weather....

its a tradition. Same as celebrating xmas even though we know jesus wasn't born sept 25th. Nothing wrong with having some fun and keeping a tradition alive.

[Growled Member]

I sure hope Phil is right. I'm so tired of winter.