Legendary US groundhog predicts six more weeks of winter

Feb 2, 2009, 12:20 GMT

Washington - Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary Pennsylvania groundhog, saw his shadow Monday morning and scampered back into hibernation - a sure sign that winter will last another six weeks.

The US is already in the midst of a deep chill winter, one of the coldest in recent years, with an estimated million people still without electricity through Kentucky and other states.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported online that thousands gathered on Gobbler's Knob to watch Phil emerge, then retreat, in the town 150 kilometres north of Pittsburgh.

If Phil does not see his shadow and remains outside, that means winter will soon end, according to the legend.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has been monitoring Phil's actions since 1887, and says he has retreated 97 times, and was 'of course' always accurate in his prediction.

The legend combines the lore of native Indians, who believed their ancestors included groundhogs, and German settlers, who brought with them the tradition of Candlemas Day on February 2.

According to the Candlemas legend, if the weather is fair on that day, winter will last its full length until the spring equinox, which is March 20 this year.

In fact, Sunday and Monday were the first days in weeks that the temperature has warmed much above freezing. Another snowstorm and dropping temperatures were predicted for Tuesday along the East Coast.

The movie Ground Hog Day starring Bill Murray popularized the legend with its story about a day that keeps repeating itself.