On this Monday morning with temperatures around the states in the single digits Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow at Gobblers Knob. The verdict, delivered to a crowd of tens of thousands who were in Pennsylvania at dawn, Phil saw his shadow. According to tradition this means the United States is in for six more weeks of wintry weather.
the announcement was made by Phil’s top hat wearing handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. In the crowd some were dressed as Elvis Presley and their reaction was boos but everybody was still smiling. The environment was still hyped up even though the weather was freezing. “Oh man it just breaks up the doldrums of winter,” said Lisa Gibson of Pittsburgh, who was attending her 10th Groundhog Day. “It’s like Halloween and New Year’s Eve all wrapped up into one holiday.”
The weather was so severe that the usual post prediction photos were canceled to protect the marmot. Handlers feared the extreme cold was too much for Phil, leaning the announcer to encourage the crowd to turn around and do a selfie with the stage in the background.
A local observer named Steef noted the groundhogs reluctance, “Punxsutawney Phil, the seer of seers, prognosticator of prognosticators, emerged reluctantly but alertly, in Punxsutawney PA, and states in groundhogeese, I definitely see a shadow. Sorry folks, six more weeks of winter.”
State officials echoed the importance of the transition of the tradition as a bright spot in a dark tradition. Rick Siger, Pennsylvania’s secretary of community and economic development, noted the thermometer read 4 degrees Fahrenheit on his way to the Knob. “I think it’s just fun, folks having a fun time,” Siger said. “It is a unifying force.”
Other “prognosticators” like Staten Island Chuck and Buffalo Bert agreed with Phil.
