Weather Blog: How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow this Groundhog Day?

Every year on February 2nd we put the fate of our spring season in the hands of......a groundhog. While some believe in this century-old practice let’s see how accurate Mr. Phil actually is.

The Groundhog Day tradition dates back to 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Each year Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow and either sees his shadow, indicating 6 more weeks of winter, or doesn’t - indicating an early spring.

Over the past 10 years, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 7 times thus predicting a longer winter. This is not uncommon, since 1887 Phil has only predicted an early spring 20 times. A longer winter has been predicted for a total of 107 times.

Weather predictions for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania this Friday are showing overcast sky conditions which will likely cause Phil to NOT see his shadow.

*Always rely on your local meteorologist for the most accurate day-to-day and seasonal forecasts.