Hello everyone! February 2nd is Groundhog Day. The original groundhog is Punxetawney Phil in Pennsylvania. The saying is if he sees his shadow then there will be 6 more weeks of winter, but if he doesn't, then there will be an early spring. While the ground hog coming out of his home has been commercially co opted for years, there was once a tad bit of actual science behind this. The male groundhog comes out of his burrow in late winter to decide if it is time to find a mate. Sunny, winter days in Pennsylvania are usually associated with cold high pressure and could be a sign that winter isn't over yet. Cloudy weather could be a sign that southern systems are pumping moisture northward into Pennsylvania and thus an early spring would be more likely. It is crucial to the survival of the groundhog young that the male groundhog make the right decision. If his young are born too soon, they would not be able to find enough food before spring growing. If his young are born too late, they would have a tough time finding enough to eat and surviving spring time predators.
Also, if you haven't seen the movie Groundhog Day, check it out. It stars Bill Murray as a meteorologist named Phil who works on channel 9. The graphic artist who made the weather map background for the movie also made the base country and state backgrounds for me. They looked very similar. Obviously, I get a kick out of seeing them in the movie.
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