PUXATAWNY PHIL LOSES HIS CROWN!

I’m not sure what’s crazier- paying attention to what a Ground Hog predicts for the end of Winter or looking at the Stats for a Ground Hog’s accuracy.

As we approach day 306 of Winter here in the Northeast we are desperate to do anything to forget that our walkway needs shoveling or another coat of rock salt to melt the ice and that we do our best to enjoy our daily 3.5 hours of sunlight— so desperate in fact that we turn to a rodent to let us know if they predict an early end to our misery or if we’ll be dealing with this until mid-April.

Last year was relatively mild both snow and temperature wise, but our flight to South Carolina for the terrific South Carolina Comic Con was almost cancelled due to a snowstorm and that was early April so Winter rose up and hurled another storm our way. The nice thing about storms that hit after we enter March is they don’t hang around— usually the weather bumps up into the upper 40s and everything melts on its own.

So yesterday Puxatawny Phil crawled out of his hole and he either did or didn’t see his Shadow— now this is the thing I don’t fully understand— if he see’s his Shadow (and that means more Winter) then doesn’t that indicate it’s a sunny day? Sunny day = NOT winter.

Phil’s all time standing is 35% accuracy.

What the wha? That’s Joe Biden approval numbers— why don’t we ask Joe what his thoughts are for the end of winter;

“I don’t work for you, you dog faced pony boy. Peaches! When I worked as a Ground Hog keeper, we never asked! “ He replied.

Thanks Joe— that makes as much sense as anything you’ve ever said.

So who is the most accurate Ground Hog? Staten Island Chuck leads the pack of some 40+ Ground Hog seers with a whopping 85% accuracy rating! Wow. I guess going forward its Chuck all the way.

Six more weeks of winter or not— Spring is officially here on March 21st— that’s exactly 46 days from today— or SIX weeks.

I still prefer a sub zero day over a hot humid 98 degree day, which is why I don’t live year round in Tokyo or Miami— but I can tell you taking a couple of weeks and running off to Florida mid-winter is a terrific way to keep you from killing yourself during the long winter bleakness.

PREDICTION OUTCOME: Both Puxatawny Phil and Staten Island Chuck predicts EARLY SPRING.