Who is the original groundhog?

In 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was America's only true weather-forecasting groundhog.

How long has Phil the groundhog been alive?

HOW OLD IS PHIL? According to Groundhog Club members, there has only been one Phil — and he has been predicting since 1887. That makes him 135 years old!

How many Punxsutawney Phil has there been?

How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions since 1886! Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe.

Who is the real groundhog?

Punxsutawney Phil canon

The practices and lore of Punxsutawney Phil's predictions are predicated on a light-hearted suspension of disbelief by those involved. According to the lore, there is only one Phil, and all other groundhogs are impostors.

Is Punxsutawney Phil the same groundhog?

It's been the same Punxsutawney Phil for all 135 years of the tradition, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. That's over 15 times longer than the upper end of a groundhog's typical lifespan. That's an old groundhog.

The origins of Groundhog Day

How old is the official groundhog?

Part of the mythic lore surrounding Punxsutawney Phil is the fact that the groundhog is an immortal animal which has been performing the weather forecasting ritual since 1887. According to the President of the Groundhog Club, Bill Deeley, Phil is 135 years old, having been alive since the ceremony began in 1887.

Is Punxsutawney Phil a girl?

The most famous groundhog in “the business” is Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania. He's supposedly male, but he's also supposedly been around since the 19th century.

How do they get Punxsutawney Phil out of his hole?

Is Phil the groundhog still alive?

CORRECTION: Punxsutawney Phil is alive and well! The groundhog that died was the New Jersey version, known as Milltown Mel.

Who is the handler of Punxsutawney Phil?

Groundhog handler AJ Derume holds Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow, predicting a late spring during the 136th annual Groundhog Day festivities on Feb. 2, 2022 in Punxsutawney, Pa. Groundhog Day is a popular tradition in the United States and Canada.

How accurate is Phil the groundhog?

Records kept by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club show Phil has predicted 105 continued winters and only 20 early springs. According to the Stormfax Almanac, that works out to a 39% accuracy rate for Phil. In the near term, the groundhog's accuracy rate is slightly better.

Where is Phil the groundhog kept?

Phil is a groundhog that lives in Punxsutawney. Each year on February 2, the City of Punxsutawney holds a special festival in honor of its famous furry forecaster.

Did Milltown Mel see his shadow?

Last year, Milltown Mel did not see his shadow, and predicted an early spring. While Punxsutawney Phil is a more famous groundhog, Milltown Mel's handlers claim they have had a better record of predicting when spring will come. Incase you missed the coverage of me last night, here it is.

Who is the most famous groundhog?

Punxsutawney Phil, the world's most famous groundhog, was coaxed from his burrow in western Pennsylvania early Wednesday, Feb. 2, as a pandemic-stressed nation waited to find out whether we'll have an early spring or six more weeks of cold and snow.

How old is the current Punxsutawney Phil 2022?

Legend says Punxsutawney Phil is 135 years old

He has been predicting the weather since 1887, which makes him 135 years old in 2022. Legend credits his longevity to drinking “the elixir of life,” prepared using a secret recipe that is reportedly only known to club members.

What is Punxsutawney Phil's full name?

Punxsutawney Phil - Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

His full name is “Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.” February 2, 1886 - The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper proclaims this date as Pennsylvania's first official Groundhog Day celebration.

What groundhog died yesterday?

Milltown Mel, one of New Jersey's weather-predicting groundhogs, died Sunday — just days before the big annual ceremony. His death was announced on the groundhog's official Facebook page.

Which groundhog is the most accurate?

The most accurate of all rodent prognosticators - General Beauregard Lee, widely considered the "Punxsutawney Phil of the South". Lee holds a 63% accuracy rating nationally, with a 70-80% accuracy rating for certain regions of the United States.

How many famous groundhogs are there?

When was the last time groundhog didn't see shadow?

In 2019, the 133rd year of the tradition, the groundhog was summoned to come out at 7:25 am on February 2, but did not see its shadow.

How many times has the groundhog not seen his shadow?

In his many years of forecasting, the prognosticating groundhog has seen his shadow a total of 105 times and didn't see his shadow a total of 20 times, with 10 years where we have no record of his prediction.

What is the groundhogs name 2022?

Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow on Groundhog Day 2022

On Feb. 2, 2022, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his tree stump with the help of his inner circle and saw his shadow -- predicting six more weeks of winter -- during a ceremony in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa.

Did 2022 groundhog see its shadow?

Groundhog handler AJ Derume holds Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow, predicting a late spring during the 136th annual Groundhog Day festivities on Wednesday in Punxsutawney.

What happens if Phil sees his shadow?

Though Phil has no meteorology degree, every year on February 2, the United States tunes in for his prediction. Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter and if he doesn't, spring will arrive sooner. In 2021 the groundhog did see his shadow, calling for six more weeks of cold.

What animal is Punxsutawney Phil?

In 1887, a newspaper editor belonging to a group of groundhog hunters from Punxsutawney called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club declared that Phil, the Punxsutawney groundhog, was America's only true weather-forecasting groundhog.