Groundhog doesn't see his shadow, predicting early spring

Associated Press•February 2, 2019

Groundhogs don't see shadows, predicting early spring

Groundhogs don't see shadows, predicting early spring

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PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — It may be hard to believe as a large swath of the U.S. thaws out from a bitter polar vortex, but spring is coming early, according to handlers for some of the country's most famous prognosticating groundhogs.

Just before 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Punxsutawney (puhnk-suh-TAW'-nee) Phil emerged from his burrow in Pennsylvania at sunrise and didn't see his shadow. Nearly the same series of events unfolded about 300 miles (483 kilometers) to the east, where Staten Island Chuck's handlers also revealed the same prediction.

The festivities have their origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter continues. If not, spring comes early.

In reality, Phil's prediction is decided ahead of time by the group on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill just outside Punxsutawney. That's about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stopped attending Staten Island's Groundhog Day ceremony in 2015, a year after he accidentally dropped the furry critter that died a week later.

And he wasn't the only New York City mayor who struggled with the holiday. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was bitten at a Groundhog Day ceremony in 2009.

Above is from:  https://news.yahoo.com/groundhog-good-news-winter-sufferers-051021562.html?.tsrc=bell-brknews

Woodstock Willie does not see his shadow, predicts early spring

POSTED 8:45 AM, FEBRUARY 2, 2019, BY ERIK RUNGE, UPDATED AT 12:29PM, FEBRUARY 2, 2019

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Woodstock Willie does not see his shadow, predicts early spring

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WOODSTOCK, Ill. — It's Groundhog Day, the day when Americans wait to find out whether groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter.

In Woodstock, Ill., residents celebrate the day by waiting for Woodstock Willie's prediction. The town commemorates the day with a big celebration. The movie "Groundhog Day", starring Bill Murray, was filmed in Woodstock.

When Willie came out Saturday morning, he saw no shadow. That means an early spring.

Above is from:  https://wgntv.com/2019/02/02/woodstock-willie-predicts-early-spring/