Punxsutawney Phil's handler AJ Deleum holds the famous groundhog during the 136th Annual Groundhog Day at Gobbler's Knob on February 2, 2022 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
(Reuters) — The famous groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania on Friday, but couldn't see his shadow. According to folklore, this is a sign of an early and warm spring in North America.
In Punxsutawney, a small town northeast of Pittsburgh, thousands of revelers gather at dawn to celebrate Groundhog Day and watch Phil emerge from a tree stump to provide the annual weather forecast. I watched over it.
“What this weather didn't provide was no shadow, no reason to hide. Good news on this Groundhog Day. Early spring is on its way,” the Phil's official “interpreter” read out the declaration, which was heard from the venue. was cheered. A small crowd witnessed the ironic event that takes place in the town on February 2nd every year.
Legend has it that if a rodent sees its own shadow on Groundhog Day, it will experience six weeks of frigid and violent weather. If it's cloudy and there are no people around, spring is coming soon.
The event evolved from an ancient ritual brought to America by German immigrants who settled in what is now Pennsylvania. According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Groundhog Day was first officially celebrated in 1886.
Groundhog Day, famous for the classic 1993 film of the same name starring Bill Murray, draws tourists from all over the world, although the creature has a spotty track record.
According to the National Center for Environmental Information, over the past 10 years, Phil has predicted the weather accurately only an average of 30% of the time.
As Punxsutawney Phil predicted Friday, California is bracing for a second atmospheric river expected to bring more heavy rain on Sunday, after a similar storm brought heavy rain to the state earlier this week. was.
But the Pittsburgh area is expected to see mostly mild and sunny skies through the second half of next week, with temperatures rising to 57 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius), much warmer than usual in early February.
