Do Groundhogs Really Predict the Weather?
You have all heard about Groundhog's Day. It falls on February 2 each year. The legend is that if the groundhog sees its shadow, then we will have six more weeks of winter, while no shadow predicts an early Spring.
This tradition started in the 1700's in Pennsylvania with the German settlers who lived there. They are called Pennsylvania Dutch today. This was called Candlemas Day and occured halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. The tradition said that if the weather was fair, then the second half of winter would be stormy and cold. If the weather was bad, there would be an early Spring. Here is the poem that the Germans would say:
"For as the sun shines
on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until May.
For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day,
So far will the sun shine before May."
We still carry this tradition today and if you watch television on February 2 you will always hear a story about Punxsutawney Phil. The reason for his name is that the "official" groundhog reading is taken in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where the tradition began. Most people really do not believe that the groundhog is a good predictor of the coming weather, but it is a tradition that we continue to follow.
People have collected statistics for many years and these statistics show that the Punxsutawney Phil has been right only 39% of the time.
To read more about Groundhog Day, click here.
