Patch Poll: Forget Punxsutawney Phil! Give Patch Your Winter Weather Predictions

If we didn’t know any better, we’d say Groundhog Day already has come and gone and that Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow. 

After all (quick, knock on wood!), we’ve had unseasonably warm weather throughout the Pittsburgh area all week. Tuesday’s temperatures reached nearly 60 degrees — and there even was sunshine!

As you probably already know, every Feb. 2 Punxsutawney Phil, a k a the world’s most famous groundhog, emerges (or rather, is pulled) from his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, PA, to predict the weather for the rest of the winter.

According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of wintry weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

Given this winter's mild weather, we're wondering if Phil will be sitting in a lawn chair with a tropical drink in one hand as the masses gather this morning around his burrow. 

The Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney has been taking place since 1887 and attracts thousands of revelers from around the world. The kooky celebration was further immortalized in 1993 when Bill Murray played a jaded weatherman doomed to repeat the same day over and over again in the classic film Groundhog Day. 

While there’s no shortage of groundhogs in the Pine-Richland area — we often see them in the fields alongside the roads when we're driving around the townships — the oversize rodents don’t get quite the same welcome in this community as they do in Punxsutawney.

We’d much rather hear your weather predictions. Is the warm weather we’ve experienced so far this winter an indication of an early spring, or is the worst weather, including icy roads and school delays, yet to come?  

Do you believe that furry Phil has a forecasting edge over our local weather experts?

Answer our Patch Poll or leave your thoughts in the comment section.    

What are you weather predictions for the rest of winter? Please sign in with your real name and post your prediction. Thank you!