USA: Phil, the marmot, predicted that winter would last another 6 weeks

Winter will be long for the Americans this year, as Phil, the marmot to whom the “charisma” is attributed to predict the weather, saw his shadow this morning, coming out of his nest. This means that the cold will last for another six weeks, according to the “ritual” that takes place every year on February 2 in Pennsylvania.

The (real) US meteorological service, NWS, had the same view as Phil this morning, when it predicted that a “huge snowstorm” would hit the northeastern and central US for the next two to three days.

The meteorological bulletin rarely agrees with Phil and his eponymous predecessors. On average, the rodent correctly predicted future weather conditions of only 40% over the past decade, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Last year, the marmot also predicted that winter would be extended by six weeks. Indeed, February was a very cold month, but in March the temperature fluctuated above the average for the season.

The marmot tradition was introduced to the US by German villagers who monitored the animal’s behavior to judge when to sow their fields. If the marmot sees its shadow, the masterminds at Panxatoni, Pennsylvania, conclude that the winter will last another six weeks, so Phil can return to his nest to continue sleeping.

On Marmot Day, thousands of people – and dozens of journalists – gather in the village of Panxatoni to watch the ceremony. Similar ceremonies are also held in other parts of the United States and Canada. In fact, in 1993, a film of the same name was made, starring Bill Murray in the role of a television journalist who goes to Panxatoni to cover the event and ends up living the same day all the time.

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