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Pennsylvania groundhog ‘forecasts’ 6 more weeks of winter

The Columbian
Published: February 1, 2015, 4:00pm

PORTLAND — Punxsutawney Phil may be calling for six more weeks of winter, but in the Northwest, it’s safe to pack away those mittens. So says Whiskers J., the Oregon Zoo’s African pygmy hedgehog, who did not see his shadow Monday, meaning an early spring could be in store.

At 10:30 a.m., a small crowd — with some bearing signs with slogans like “Hedgehogs RULE!” and “HEY, Punxsutawney Phil! You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Groundhog!” — gathered in the zoo entry plaza to watch the proceedings

“Hedgehogs are the real weather experts of the animal world,” said curator Michael Illig, who presided over the Hedgehog Day festivities. “Punxsutawney Phil and his ilk are relative newcomers to the game. When European immigrants to the United States realized their new home didn’t have hedgehogs, they turned to the groundhog out of necessity. But Whiskers J. is bringing the holiday back to its origins.”

Tradition and cuteness might have to count for a lot. According to records from StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil’s predictions have been correct about 39 percent of the time. Oregon Zoo hedgehogs have been slightly more successful, with a 40 percent accuracy rate.

PORTLAND -- Punxsutawney Phil may be calling for six more weeks of winter, but in the Northwest, it's safe to pack away those mittens. So says Whiskers J., the Oregon Zoo's African pygmy hedgehog, who did not see his shadow Monday, meaning an early spring could be in store.

At 10:30 a.m., a small crowd -- with some bearing signs with slogans like "Hedgehogs RULE!" and "HEY, Punxsutawney Phil! You Ain't Nothin' but a Groundhog!" -- gathered in the zoo entry plaza to watch the proceedings

"Hedgehogs are the real weather experts of the animal world," said curator Michael Illig, who presided over the Hedgehog Day festivities. "Punxsutawney Phil and his ilk are relative newcomers to the game. When European immigrants to the United States realized their new home didn't have hedgehogs, they turned to the groundhog out of necessity. But Whiskers J. is bringing the holiday back to its origins."

Tradition and cuteness might have to count for a lot. According to records from StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil's predictions have been correct about 39 percent of the time. Oregon Zoo hedgehogs have been slightly more successful, with a 40 percent accuracy rate.

-- The Columbian

— The Columbian

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. — The handlers of Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said Monday the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter.

Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the “prediction” Monday morning.

A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early.

The forecast was also announced on Twitter, as was referenced in the official proclamation read by Jeff Lundy, the Fair Weatherman of the Inner Circle.

“Forecasts abound on the Internet, but, I, Punxsutawney Phil am still your best bet. Yes, a shadow I see, you can start to Twitter, hash tag: Six more weeks of winter!”

The forecast was delivered after a steady pre-dawn rain turned to snow as temperatures dropped from the high 30s to around freezing. They were forecast to keep dropping over much of the state, prompting the state Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit to 45 mph for many interstate highways which were already wet and expected to freeze or be covered with snow as the day wore on.

The rain kept some revelers away, with state police estimating the crowd at around 11,000, slightly smaller than in recent years when upward of 15,000 attended.

No mention was made of Sunday night’s Super Bowl, unlike Groundhog Day 2009 — the last time the celebration occurred the morning after the big game — which was won by the nearby Pittsburgh Steelers that year.

Despite the German legend, Phil’s handlers don’t wait to see if he sees his shadow — as he likely would not have on such an overcast day. Instead, the Inner Circle decide on the forecast ahead of time and announce it on Gobbler’s Knob, a tiny hill in the town for which the groundhog is named, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 17 times. There are no records for the remaining years.

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