The National Climatic Data Center compiled data on Phil's successes and failures from 1988 to 2014, and the groundhog did poorly. Judging by the deviation from average March temperatures, Phil was wrong 15 times and right just 12 times. In Phil's defense, temperature deviation may not be the best possible measure of winter, but it does serve as a reasonable indicator.
Although I don't know how Phil could be wrong: If he sees his shadow, it's six more weeks of winter; if he doesn't, spring is just around the corner, usually in about six weeks.
A groundhog bit the ear of the mayor of Sun Prairies in Wisconsin as the animal "predicted" how long it would be until spring.
According to tradition in the US, the emerging of the groundhog from its burrow on Groundhog Day, will determine how much winter weather remains.
However when Jimmy was held to Mayor Jonathan Freund's ear it chose to bite down.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
February 2 has been a holiday of sorts forever. It is a cross-quarter day on the pagan calendar (half way between Solstice and Equinox) and Candelmas/Feast of the Presentation on the Christian calendar.
