Six more weeks of winter ‘forecast’

Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, has forecast six more weeks of winter, his handlers said. Members of the Inner Circle announced the “prediction”.

A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on February 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 Bill Deeley, president 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.

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 105km northeast of Pittsburgh.