Punxsutawney Phil probably didn’t consult the Highlands area weather map before making his bold prediction Wednesday that the United States will experience six more weeks of winter.
Based on what we have all seen so far this season, there is no reason to think Phil’s prediction won’t come true. It’s been cold, harsh and snowy since the first of the year here on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. What is perhaps more interesting than the nuts and bolts of the Groundhog Day prognostication, is how the rodent has claimed a unique spot in American pop culture.
Groundhog Day began as a tradition among the Pennsylvania Dutch, who believed in the superstition that a groundhog emerging from its den on Feb. 2 could predict the upcoming weather. According to the tradition, if the groundhog emerges under clear skies it will immediately return to its den and thus winter will continue for six weeks. If the groundhog emerges under cloudy skies, and thus cannot see its shadow, an early spring is eminent.
What started as a local tradition among the Pennsylvania Dutch in the 1840’s began its ascent into the national consciousness in 1887 at Gobbler’s Knob. In subsequent years, the connection between the annual Groundhog Day ceremony and the local newspaper grew as Punxsutawney Spirit editor Clymer Freas became the unofficial promoter for the celebration.
Over the years, Groundhog Day grew from a small group of hunting club members to a celebration that now attracts up to 40,000 people per year. Punxsutawney Phil’s popularity has even spawned spin-off celebrations all over the globe.
For North Carolinians, the resident “local” groundhog weather forecaster is Raleigh’s Sir Walter Wally. Supporters of Wally boast that the Old North State’s groundhog has a better forecast accuracy percentage than Phil (Wally is right 59 percent of the time, according to his handlers).
Whether you listen to Phil, Wally, or the local meteorologist, six more weeks of winter sounds about right. Let’s make the most of it, because Daylight Savings Time and hustle and bustle of Spring will be here soon enough.