BEFORE ALL THE FUSS OVER TOM BRADY AND THE PATRIOTS, ALL EYES WERE ON ANOTHER CELEBRITY – OUR FAVORITE WEATHER-PREDICTING RODENT: THE GROUNDHOG!
IN LAST WEEK’S POLL WE ASKED YOU: DO YOU TRUST THE GROUNDHOG’S PREDICTIONS? AND IT WAS A CLOSE ONE, BUT MOST OF YOU – 53% SAID NO!
THAT MEANS 47% OF YOU SAID YES, YOU TRUST THE GROUNDHOG – INCLUDING TYLER FROM NEW KNOXVILLE, WHO DROPPED SOME RESEARCH ON US, WRITING:
I THINK WE SHOULD TRUST THE GROUNDHOG BECAUSE THE GERMANS TRUSTED GROUNDHOGS TO PREDICT THE WEATHER IN THE 1700’S AND THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS. GROUNDHOGS ARE VERY INTUITIVE AND HAVE AMAZING INSTINCTS. THEY MAY NOT BE RIGHT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME BUT IT IS COOL TO WATCH.
WELL, FOR TYLER AND ALL YOU YES-VOTERS, WE’VE GOT SOME WEATHER NEWS TO SHARE -- THE FAMOUS PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL HAS SPOKEN:
(NATS)
AMERICA'S WEATHER-FORECASTING GROUNDHOG IS CALLING FOR SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER.
MOS: "I'm very disappointed. I was hoping for a warm spell."
MOS: "I don't want it. I want spring, man!"
PHIL'S FORECASTS ARE NOT ESPECIALLY RELIABLE BUT THE TOURISTS ARE.
MOS: "Lancaster, Pennsylvania ... it's about four hours away."
MOS: "I'm from Syracuse, New York. It is the official home of winter now."
SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER IT IS! OHIO’S BUCKEYE CHUCK AGREED, BUT NEW YORK’S WOODCHUCK BEGGED TO DIFFER: STATEN ISLAND CHUCK DECLARED AN EARLY SPRING!
[CLIP]
AS DID GEORGIA’S FURRY WEATHERMAN, GEN BEAUREGARD LEE…HIS SHADOW WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND ON FEBRUARY 2ND!
SO I GUESS THE REAL QUESTION IS WHICH GROUNDHOG DO YOU TRUST?!
Instructional Links
Website Article: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Groundhog Day | Shares historic data about groundhog versus actual weather statistics
Website Article: LiveScience, Groundhog Day: How Often Does Punxsutawney Phil Get It Right?