Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog in Pennsylvania, is set to make his annual weather forecast on Groundhog Day (February 2nd) to predict if winter will last six more weeks or if spring will come early. Unseasonably warm weather is expected for the forecast, which could influence Phil's prediction. Organizers expect 15,000 to 18,000 people to attend the event at Gobbler's Knob to witness Phil's prediction shortly before 7:30am. The celebration is rooted in a German folk tradition that says if a hibernating animal sees its shadow on Candlemas, winter will last six more weeks.

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POSTED BY EIZ ON THURSDAY, 19 JANUARY, 2012, 7:14 AM
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Unseasonably warm temperatures and a lack of snow would seem to put less pressure on
Punxsutawney Phil, the central Pennsylvania groundhog set to make his annual weather forecast
on Thursday morning. Organizers said 15000 to 18000 people are expected ...
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PUNXSUTAWNEY
POSTED BYO EIZ N THURSDAY, 19 JANUARY, 2012, 7:14 AM
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+PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. February 2, 2012
(AP)With this winter being like it's been, six
more weeks of it might not be so bad.
Unseasonably warm temperatures and a lack of snow would seem to put less pressure on
Punxsutawney Phil, the central Pennsylvania groundhog set to make his annual weather forecast
on Thursday morning.
Organizers said 15,000 to 18,000 people are expected to witness the furry creature's
prognostication just before 7:30 a.m. EST on Gobbler's Knob at Punxsutawney.
The Groundhog Day celebration is rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating
animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will last another six
weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early.
The celebration turnout will likely be helped by weather expected to be partly sunny and nearly 14
degrees above normal. The average early-morning temperature usually hovers around 17
degrees, but on Thursday morning it is expected to be closer to 31 degrees, according to the
National Weather Service.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett will be among the spectators this year. Those who can't make it to
Gobbler's Knob, which sits about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, can follow the groundhog on
Twitter and Facebook, or watch a webcast of the event on his website.
Phil has seen his shadow 99 times and hasn't seen it just 16 times since 1886, according to the
Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle, which runs the event. There are no records for the