Punxsutawney (PA) Phil prognosticates 6 more weeks of winter

[RememberSchiff 3445]

6 more weeks of winter!

Poor Phil was shivering even with his fur coat. Does your local Ground Hog or cultural equivalent critter agree?

 

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

1 hour ago, RememberSchiff said:

6 more weeks of winter!

Poor Phil was shivering even with his fur coat. Does your local Ground Hog or cultural equivalent critter agree?

 

 

[qwazse 4288]

Just flew home. Feels good to have one's face hurt by stepping outside. Less deceptive than that sun getting you all cheery only to have you watch your face peel off later.

[CalicoPenn 728]

Woodstock Willie (Illinois - home of the movie Groundhog Day) is currently hiding in the witness protection program to avoid being whacked by the Chicago mob - they paid him off to not see his shadow and he betrayed them - he saw his shadow.

[ItsBrian 284]

I don’t see why the it matters since it’s 6 weeks until spring either way.

[Pselb 36]

1 hour ago, ItsBrian said:

I don’t see why the it matters since it’s 6 weeks until spring either way.

I figured this out a long time ago.  Six weeks after Groundhog Day is the Spring Solstice.  It has nothing to do with winter weather.  That's just the assumption people are led to believe.

[NJCubScouter 1389]

It is a much better movie than it is a legend.

If this tradition started in Pa., it seems strange because it can snow into April, as it also sometimes does here, so that’s at least eight weeks right there.  And there are places in the U.S. where it can snow into May.  Winter weather ends when it ends, solstice or not.

Hmm, does this make me the Scrooge of Groundhog Day?

Edited February 4, 2018 by NJCubScouter

[The Latin Scot 961]

Ah, the yearly meteorological meanderings of the marmota monax ...

Remind me why we  get six me weeks of winter if he sees his shadow - doesn't that mean the sun is in fact shining, which should be indicative of impending spring, yet an overcast sky means he doesn't see his shadow, and thus somehow, more winter? 

This is why I would never trust the weather with an overgrown rodent. 

[NJCubScouter 1389]

1 hour ago, The Latin Scot said:

This is why I would never trust the weather with an overgrown rodent. 

Actually, to be fair to the groundhog, a prediction by a human meteorologist about what the weather is going to be six weeks from now is worth about as much as the groundhog’s prediction.

[qwazse 4288]

11 hours ago, NJCubScouter said:

It is a much better movie than it is a legend.

If this tradition started in Pa., it seems strange because it can snow into April, as it also sometimes does here, so that’s at least eight weeks right there.  And there are places in the U.S. where it can snow into May.  Winter weather ends when it ends, solstice or not.

Hmm, does this make me the Scrooge of Groundhog Day?

Nobody says six consecutive consecutive weeks! 

[ianwilkins 366]

Meanwhile in England...

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

4 hours ago, ianwilkins said:

Meanwhile in England...

We have that too. Once in camp the forecasting stone was a large bolder with a tripod of huge spars set up on the parade ground in the middle of the night. There is always some new kid who has never seen it and thinks it is hilarious.

[ItsBrian 284]

20 hours ago, Tampa Turtle said:

We have that too. Once in camp the forecasting stone was a large bolder with a tripod of huge spars set up on the parade ground in the middle of the night. There is always some new kid who has never seen it and thinks it is hilarious.

 

We call it a weather stone  , our daycamp has one at scout craft. 

[WisconsinMomma 216]

Little guy seems to have gotten it right!

[CalicoPenn 728]

On 2/3/2018 at 5:59 PM, ItsBrian said:

I don’t see why the it matters since it’s 6 weeks until spring either way.

To quote Tevye (Fiddler on the Roof):   Tradition!

Its just a fun little way of keeping some tradition and history alive - Just sit back and enjoy it.