Did you watch? This year he says 6 more weeks of winter.

Didn't watch. Crap! I'm so done with winter.....

Me too, I don't enjoy winter. It's just something I consider myself surviving. (Hopefully, knock wood! LOL!) I skipped my shower this morning to make sure I didn't miss it. So corny but I love Phil.

purpleinopp said: Did you watch? This year he says 6 more weeks of winter.

Ha, ha, our Canadian albino gopher (I call him a gopher because most years I have no respect for him cause he usually predicts 6 more weeks of winter), Wiarton Willie, predicted an early spring.
Hope he is correct. Looks like it will be party time in Wiarton tonight.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/weat...

Thankful we don't have snow here, just cold, anxious for spring!

Beautiful! I was inspired to find this gorgeous one:

Nice, Tiffany. Phil predictions are correct 44-54% of the time, depending on where you live. He is cute and cuddly but some past ground hogs have been biters so those gloves the handlers wear are thick.

That's not my pic, but thank you, Brenda. : )

Do people pay much attention to other weather-prediction rodents? This seems like a strange thing to copy since most people don't care at all, and especially if nobody cares about any of them but Phil. If any place in AL has one, it has escaped my notice. I know somewhere in OH claims to have "Buckeye Chuck" but a far as I know, there was never a big following for him.

https://americasbestpics.com/p...

NJBob said: https://americasbestpics.com/p...

It seems 2 out 3 groundhogs said 6 more weeks per CBS in NY. So yes, there are others, but Phil seems to be the most famous of them all. Why doesn't he have a song like Rudolph?
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyor...

Staten Chuck, no fun in that name. . Why not Staten Steve?
Pennsylvania seems 'ground zero' to groundhog lore.

luvsgrtdanes said:

Has any other groundhog-based weather prediction been going on for more than 137 years? That would be necessary to say that Phil isn't the first, the original.

Do rodents do weather predictions in any other countries? Do other countries pay any attention to Phil or any of the other alleged USA prognosticators?

Do other animals make weather predictions here or elsewhere?

purpleinopp said: Do other animals make weather predictions here or elsewhere?

They do predict weather to come but it is not by seeing their shadow when they are plucked from their cozy nests in winter. Weather predictions can be made by observing the behavior of many species. I still prefer to rely on the predictions of our First Nations people. They have much wisdom which has been gained by observing nature. Their predictions seem pretty reliable to me.

What I look for that indicates spring is coming is the return of the crows. Once the first crows arrive spring isn't far behind.

Robins= spring of course is an old one. But I read, robins stay in the local aea but more in the forest over winter. Still, it's a delight to see a bunch of robins on the lawn near spring.

If you look at a calendar, Spring is 6 weeks away anyway. I think the groundhog's accuracy rate is based on whatever the weather is doing during that time frame.