Happy Groundhog Day!

[twinsrwe]

According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will persist for six more weeks.

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Groundhog Day was adopted in the U.S. in 1887. Clymer H. Freas was the editor of the local paper Punxsutawney Spirit at the time, and he began promoting the town’s groundhog as the official “Groundhog Day meteorologist.”

The groundhog who predicts on this famous day is named Punxsutawney Phil. The legendary groundhog has reportedly been making predictions for over 125 years, with this year’s edition marking his 129th appearance. This is remarkable seeing as the average lifespan of a groundhog is usually less than six years.

Truth is, whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not, we are still going to have 6 more weeks of winter weather!

I hope everyone has a great day!

[MysteryReader]

Thanks for posting, Twins! We've had a mild winter so far in the south. Today, it's 70 degrees!

[twinsrwe]

You're welcome, Mystery. We have also had a very mild winter, especially for Wisconsin. Today it is very cloudy and 34 degrees here, however we did get about an inch of heavy snow cover this morning. Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow in my little corner of the world!