Today’s emails and news stories are all full of climate predictions for the coming of spring based on whether a furry rodent has seen his shadow. The one that most often shows up in the news is Punxsutawney Phil from Pennsylvania, but there are many others from other parts of the country. Why would we in the Southeast trust a rodent from the Northeast to get our climate right? For what it’s worth (not much), Phil saw his shadow and predicted 6 more weeks of winter. But he’s only right 40% of the time, so I would not put much trust in that prediction. Here are some stories today about groundhogs (also known in some areas as woodchucks).
EarthSky: Groundhog Day is an astronomy holiday
Atlas Obscura: The Alternative Groundhogs Vying for Punxsutawney Phil’s Weather Forecasting Job
WSB Radio: Early spring or 6 more weeks of winter? Georgia groundhogs make 2023 predictions
The Weather Channel (video): Fun facts about groundhogs
The Weather Channel (video): Groundhog Day: 5 Facts You Didn’t Know About The Famed Animal
And my favorite meme about groundhogs:
