Happy Groundhog Day

takeahike

Happy Groundhog Day. Groundhog Day 2025: What to know
• Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, is where Groundhog Day originated
• Last year, the groundhog predicted an early spring
• Groundhog Day is on Feb. 2 each year

Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the U.S. based in a centuries-long legend that a groundhog can predict the weather for the next six weeks. If he emerges from his den and sees his shadow, winter will last another month and a half. If he does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early.

markmich4

And I still like the movie with Bill Murray... Don't drive angry (Murray yelling at Phil) lol

Bink63

It's a Balmy 29F with a Tepid "Feels Like" of 22F.

Debating on visiting Woodstock Willie today, more as a homage to the Movie, shot in Woodstock, than to the critter...

Donoreo

Happy Groundhog Day

Donoreo

AMC is running Groundhog Day over and over.

HooRU

I was in college when the movie came out and I took my new GF with me to see it. To be honest, we actually didn't see much of the movie, we were kinda busy with other things at the time.

Bill Murray is a hoot.

With things as they are right now, it's a diversion we need.

GeekGirl1

Happy Ground Hog Day! This forum has been up for a year, so I’m resurrecting last year’s thread to see how we do this time around.

At the time of this post, I’m waiting for sunrise…

Sparkchaser

It’s -2 in Punxsutawney. If Phil has any sense he’ll stay in his den.

Laidback

This was posted in the meme thread.

telcodad

From: https://www.usatoday.com/live-story/news/nation/2026/02/02/groundhog-day-2026-live-updates-punxsutawney-phil/88379976007/

Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?
A. J. Dereume, Punxsutawney Phil’s handler, pulled Phil out of his burrow and presented him to the crowd.

The president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Tom Dunkel, then translated Phil’s prediction.

Phil did see his shadow on Monday, Feb. 2, which means there will be six more weeks of winter!

But:

Punxsutawney Phil has called for an extended winter more than 100 times since 1887, and spring just over a dozen times. But the NOAA says there’s no actual correlation between Phil and the actual weather in February and March. The groundhog’s shadow is only an accurate prediction about 40 percent of the time.

So I’d say there’s a 60% chance of an early Spring!

telcodad

From AccuWeather:

Does Phil’s forecast match AccuWeather’s spring predictions?
AccuWeather released its U.S. spring forecast on Jan. 28, and long-rage forecasters say most of the southern half of the country will see an early arrival of spring-like weather.

“A slower transition to persistent spring warmth can occur from the northern Rockies to the Northeast,” AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.

Click here to read the full breakdown of the spring forecast: https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/spring-forecast-2026-wintry-weather-isnt-finished-yet-in-these-parts-of-the-us/1855105

telcodad

I’m just waiting to see what our local groundhogs (and turtle) have to say now:

Groundhog Day 2026: Turtle joins 2 N.J. groundhogs to predict when spring will arrive
https://www.nj.com/weather/2026/01/groundhog-day-2026-turtle-joins-2-nj-groundhogs-to-predict-when-spring-will-arrive.html

telcodad

telcodad I’m just waiting to see what our local groundhogs (and turtle) have to say now:

Groundhog Day 2026: Turtle joins 2 N.J. groundhogs to predict when spring will arrive

Oh well, 2 out of the 3 saw their shadows this morning, so 6 more weeks of winter for us in NJ:

From:
Groundhog Day 2026 results: N.J. groundhogs Lady Edwina, Stonewall Jackson and a turtle make predictions
Updated: Feb. 02, 2026, 10:45 a.m.
https://www.nj.com/weather/2026/02/groundhog-day-2026-results-nj-groundhogs-lady-edwina-stonewall-jackson-and-a-turtle-make-predictions.html

Two New Jersey groundhogs — and a turtle — made predictions today about whether our brutally cold winter will last another six weeks or if we will get some relief with an early spring.

Stonewall Jackson, a groundhog based at the Space Farms Zoo & Museum in Sussex County, awoke around dawn on the 2026 Groundhog Day and did not see his shadow, according to his handler, Parker Space, a state senator and volunteer firefighter.

Another Jersey groundhog, Lady Edwina of Essex County, looked for her shadow shortly after 10 a.m. Monday, and saw it — predicting a long winter with more misery for Garden State residents.

Edwina also weighed in on next weekend’s Super Bowl, predicting that the Seattle Seahawks will defeat the New England Patriots.

Meanwhile, a new Groundhog Day participant, an Eastern Box Turtle named Tomothy, ventured outside this morning and also saw his shadow at the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum at Rowan University in South Jersey. …

timcuth

Bright, bright sun here today. If we have a groundhog, it certainly saw its shadow.

Dks01

All pretenders. Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam, Fred la marmotte and Lucy the Lobster all predict an early spring

egeezer

Dks01
But how about Nikki the New York City rat? Did she come out of her trash can?

egeezer

I see that Peter the palmetto bug emerged from under his refrigerator, but didn’t see his shadow. So, early spring in Boca Raton.

HooRU

CT Chuckles predicted 6 more weeks, I’m thinking 8 more weeks and a mider summer but with hurricanes on the mainland.

Milo_DeTeckel

So basically: If February 2nd is a sunny day where you live then 6 more weeks of winter, but if February 2nd is a cloudy day where you live then 4 more weeks of winter.

broknsymetry

Unless you live south of the Equator - then it goes round the other way.