ROCHESTER, N.Y. — This weekend, many of us turned our attention to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where Punxsutawney Phil resurfaced for his famous weather prediction. This charming groundhog, a true celebrity, is known largely because of the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray.
So, what’s the story behind this tradition? It’s quite simple: if Phil sees his shadow, we can expect six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring is on the way. This year, Phil did see his shadow, which means winter is sticking around in our region a bit longer. For those of us in Western New York, this isn’t surprising. Winter often lingers, regardless of what Phil predicts.
The practice dates back to 1886, and historically, Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter 78% of the time. In contrast, early springs only occur about 15% of the time. Interestingly, in the last five years, Phil has only gotten it right twice. Clearly, weather predictions, whether from a groundhog or a meteorologist, aren’t easy!
Though we may not always agree with Phil, one thing is clear: it’s still winter in Rochester, and it looks like we have to bundle up a little longer.
