Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter

[AP Photo]

Punxsutawney Phil, the legendary groundhog that lives in a tree stump in rural Pennsylvania, has issued the most highly anticipated weather forecast of the season: six more weeks of winter.

The groundhog’s forecast was announced yesterday by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in rural Pennsylvania.

When Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If he hadn’t seen his shadow, that would have foretold an early arrival of spring.

This event at Gobbler’s Knob dates back over a century and has ties to ancient European farming traditions. The festivities have grown since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day.”

Animal weather predictions are split despite Phil’s forecast

More winter has a slight edge in the Groundhog Day predictions assembled at countdowntogroundhogday.com, a 15-13 lead over “early spring.”

Staten Island Chuck in New York joins Punxsutawney Phil in predicting six more weeks of ice and snow. Others in the winter camp are Concord Casimir, a cat in Cleveland; Chuckles the groundhog and Scramble the Duck in Connecticut; and Holtsville Hal, a New York groundhog.

Warm weather forecasts have been lodged by Maple, a groundhog in California; and Cedar, a groundhog in Illinois.