Impartial estimates place the groundhog's accuracy between 35% and 41%.
Cascades
Punxsutawney Phil has been making his predictions for about 125 years
Phil's problem with places like New Hampshire, Fargo, El Paso and Sacramento is that he is not a world traveler and most of his data input is from Pennsylvania based sensors.
Punxsutawney Phil's first weather prediction occurred on February 2, 1887. According to tradition, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring is expected. The event has become an annual celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, attracting thousands of visitors each year. Phil's predictions have become a quirky cultural phenomenon, despite their questionable accuracy.
If Punxsutawney Phil (the famous groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, PA) sees his shadow on February 2, there will be six more weeks of winter in the United States. However, according to StormFax Weather Almanac records, Phil's predictions are only 39% accurate.
The fictional "birth year" of Punxsutawney Phil is 1887, born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. In reality, the adult woodchuck currently filling the role of Phil is about 3 or 4 years old. Groundhogs live about 6 years in the wild. Photos of the previous Phils show obvious differences between the individuals.
According to the Stormfax Almanac, which has been tracking Phil's predictions since 1887, Phil has been correct only 39% of the time. You'd be better off flipping a coin than going by the groundhog's predictions for an early Spring.
Groundhog Phil's full name is Punxsutawney Phil. He is the most famous groundhog and is the star of the annual Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, Phil's weather prediction is based on whether he sees his shadow on February 2nd.
Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, has been predicting weather on Groundhog Day since 1887. According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil's accuracy rate is often cited as around 39% to 40%. This means that while he has a fun cultural significance, his predictions are not particularly reliable when it comes to forecasting the arrival of spring.
He lives in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. (: In Punxsutawney.
punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania