Groundhog Phil Predicts an Early Spring

If the renowned Punxsutawney Phil is correct, we can all expect winter on the east coast to end very soon.

According to the members of the Groundhog Day Inner Circle, who waited to see the groundhog's prediction early Tuesday morning in western Pennsylvania, spring-like weather will be arriving sooner than later.

The members made their forecast announcement at 7:30 a.m. when the groundhog came out of his burrow and there was reportedly no shadow to be seen. A legend from Germany has it that if the groundhog's shadow can be seen, we can expect at least another six weeks of wintry weather.

"Take your jackets off," the announcer at the event, which has been going on for more than 100 years happily, said.

"Is this current warm weather more than a trend? Per chance this winter has come to an end? There is no shadow to be cast, an early Spring is my forecast!" Jeff Lundy, vice president of the Inner Circle of The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, read out loud, reported by the Washington Post.

Although many might believe Phil's prediction this year since this winter has been warmer than usual, his predictions, in general, tend not to be very accurate. Since 1988, the weather-predicting groundhog has been correct 13 times and wrong 15 times. Overall, in records dating back to 1887, there has been a shadow 102 times, indicating a long winter.

Phil, however, does not really predict the weather of course and the members of the Inner Circle do not actually wait to look for his shadow. Instead, they have been deciding on the forecast before the ceremony for years.

Phil is also not the only groundhog that predicts weather. In Staten Island, New York, groundhog Chuck at the Zoo also came out of his burrow without a shadow this year.