Punxsutawney Phil

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Punxsutawney Phil, the "seer of seers and prognosticator of prognosticators," has once again made history with his annual weather report. Phil has seen his shadow, predicting that this already long winter will last for six more weeks. He emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses. Phil was calm and collected before his fans, but his contemporary in New York, Staten Island Chuck was anything but calm... Chuck, evidently not liking politicians, used that event to take a chunk out of Mayor, Michael Bloomberg's hand. The groundhog, officially named Charles G. Hogg, drew blood from the billionaire, but Bloomberg was told there was no risk of rabies.

Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA. On February 2, (Groundhog Day) of each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the beloved groundhog with a festive atmosphere of music and food. During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about 2 mi (3.2 km) east of town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, the United States will have six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early. The date of Phil's prognostication is known as Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada. During the rest of the year, Phil lives in the town library with his "wife" Phyllis. A select group, called the Inner Circle, take care of Phil year-round and also plan the annual ceremony. Members of the Inner Circle are recognizable by their top hats and tuxedos.

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