People are waiting to find out if a furry creature in a community in western Pennsylvania will forecast an early spring or six more weeks of winter on this Groundhog Day.
On Thursday, a crowd will assemble at Gobbler’s Knob as Punxsutawney residents. At dawn, members of Phil’s “inner circle” call him from his tree stump to ask whether he has seen his shadow. Folklore holds that if he sees his shadow, there will be another six weeks of winter. If not, spring arrives before schedule.
A group of local dignitaries known as the “inner circle” are in charge of organizing the activities as well as providing Phil with food and care.
A German folktale about a fuzzy rodent is the inspiration for the yearly celebration in Punxsutawney. The event will also be live-streamed, and the village, which is roughly 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, is aiming for the normal attendance of between 10,000 and 15,000 people.
Records from 1887 show that Phil has correctly forecast winter more than 100 times. According to the organizers, ten years were wasted since no records were maintained.
The outlook for 2021 predicted for another six weeks of winter.
Punxsutawney Phil may be the most well-known groundhog forecaster, but he is by no means the only one. Staten Island Chuck from New York City will also provide his forecast on Thursday at a gathering at the Staten Island Zoo.
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