Groundhog Day 2010
February 2, 2010—It's Groundhog Day 2010, and the United States' most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, (pictured with co-handler John Griffiths) has spoken: "As the skies shine bright above me, my shadow I see beside me. Six more weeks of winter it will be." (Get Groundhog Day facts.)
Tradition has it that if the furry oracle emerges from his burrow in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on February 2 and sees his shadow, winter weather will continue for six more weeks across the United States. If Phil doesn't see his shadow, then spring temperatures are just around the corner.
To communicate his forecast, Punxsutawney Phil "speaks" to his human caretakers—the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle—in Groundhogese. The Inner Circle then translates Phil's words for the world to hear—or so they say.
"Groundhog Day is a lot like a rock concert, but the people are better behaved and there's a groundhog involved," said Tom Chapin, editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper.
—Ker Than
Groundhog Day Pictures: Punxsutawney Phil, Now and Then
The groundhog has spoken, predicting six more weeks of winter in 2010. See Punxsutawney Phil through the years—plus Groundhog Day origins and a wild woodchuck.
