Pennsylvania has their Punxsutawney Phil, a groundhog who has forecast weather every February 2 for generations, so it seemed appropriate that West Texas should have a pint-size Prairie Dog Pete to give folks on the Panhandle and South Plains a guess at whether cold and wintry days will continue.
Legend has it that if the groundhog sees his shadow, winter will last six more weeks. If no shadow is seen, it is supposed to mean an early spring. Of course, around Amarillo and Lubbock, nobody knows, but it’s a fun legend. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, Phil is correct about 35% to 40% of the time, but one could say that about local meteorologists as well.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club claims the groundhog (not the same one of course) has been making predictions since 1887; however, a new groundhog is selected periodically to be the new “Phil.” It’s quite a task to perform, according to some previous groundhogs…