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 The rotund rodent exited his subterranean residence at Gobblers
Knob in the western Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney around 7:30
a.m. on Groundhog Day.
The fuzzy forecaster made his appearance to the shouts of
"groundhog," as eager spectators waited to see whether the groundhog — as the legend goes — would see his shadow and predict six more
weeks of snow and freezing temperatures. If not, North Americans can
expect an early spring.
This year, Phil predicted that winter will stretch on.
The annual Groundhog Day event, made more popular by the 1993 film
comedy "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray, draws thousands of
faithful followers from as far away as Australia and Russia.
Phil's forecast of six more weeks of winter was bittersweet for some
in attendance.
"I happen to be a positive person, so I do embrace the here and now
and I will enjoy the next six weeks of winter with the best attitude
and be happy to be alive and healthy with my good friends," said
Lori Weber, 54, a real estate broker from Sewickley, Pennsylvania.
Others came out early, braving drizzle and low-light, just to
experience the event.
Carrie Juvan, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio came with her father.
"We are here having a blast because dad put it on his bucket list. I
like snow but I am ready for the spring. He asked me about it months
ago and I instantly said yes," she said.
FORECAST REACHES WHITE HOUSE
Phil's forecast even reached the White House, where President Barack
Obama's official Twitter account reminded Americans to sign up for
health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
"#PunxsutawneyPhil says there's more winter ahead—make sure you get
covered," the tweet said. Phil's New York counterpart, Staten
Island Chuck, also saw his shadow on Sunday, forecasting another six
weeks of winter.
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New York City's new mayor, Bill de Blasio, was on hand for the event
but wasn't able to keep a firm grip on the groundhog, who squirmed
free of the mayor's gloved hands — a protective measure used since
Chuck bit former mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2009.
Chuck fell to the ground, eliciting a few gasps from the crowd, but
he was quickly recovered by his handler.
Groundhogs have been offering weather predictions in the tiny
Pennsylvania town of Punxsutawney since 1887. After the movie was
released, record crowds numbering as many as 30,000 have been drawn
to the event, according to groundhog.org
With a shadow powerful enough to lift spirits — or dash them — Phil
has met with Pennsylvania governors and appeared on national
television talk shows and New York City's Times Square JumboTron. In
1986, he even traveled to Washington to meet with President Ronald
Reagan, the website said.
Phil's busy schedule is packed into the months before groundhogs,
also called woodchucks, go into hibernation — usually after the
first frost, according to NationalGeographic.com.
Hibernation is less like a deep sleep and more like a coma, with the
groundhog's heart rate plunging, blood scarcely flowing, body
temperature dropping to a few degrees above freezing and breathing
nearly stopped, said groundhog.org.
(Editing by Victoria Cavaliere, Barbara Goldberg, Steve Orlofsky and
Rosalind Russell)
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