From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070202/ap_on_...s/groundhog_day

Punxsutawney Phil predicts early spring

1 hour, 12 minutes ago

Punxsutawney Phil, the weather predicting groundhog, is held up by his handlers Ben Hughes, left, and John Griffith, right, as a large crowd looks on in Punxsutawney, Pa., Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. Phil did not see his shadow on Friday which, according to German folklore, means folks can expect an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - A new pair of hands pulled Punxsutawney Phil from his stump this year, so it was only fitting that the groundhog offered a new prediction.

Phil did not see his shadow on Friday, which, according to German folklore, means folks can expect an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter.

Since 1886, Phil has seen his shadow 96 times, hasn't seen it 15 times and there are no records for nine years, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The last time Phil failed to see his shadow was in 1999.

More than 15,000 revelers milled about in a misty snow waiting for the prediction, as fireworks exploded overhead and the "Pennsylvania Polka" and other music blared in the background.

Sammi Gainor, 17, said she and her father first attended the ceremony about four years ago. "Since then it's really been just good memories of things I do together with my dad," she said.

"It's just kind of fun seeing people go so crazy about a groundhog," Richard Gainor said.

Longtime handler Bill Deeley retired and was replaced Friday by Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle members John Griffiths and Ben Hughes.

"It's a lot of work, but it's exciting to know you're a part of one of the most phenomenal parts of American folklore," Hughes said.

Each Feb. 2, thousands of people descend on Punxsutawney, a town of 6,100 people about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, to celebrate what had essentially been a German superstition.

The Germans believed that if a hibernating animal cast a shadow Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter would last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.

Rick McFerron, an administrator at Indiana University of Pennsylvania some 30 miles away, walked the whole way to the ceremony to celebrate his 60th birthday and to raise money for breast cancer research.

He said he was skeptical of the groundhog's prediction.

"It's supposed to get bitter cold this weekend," McFerron said.

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From: http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfu...ry.asp?ID=86962

Georgia's groundhog will make prediction for spring

The Associated Press - LILBURN, Ga.

About 100 people are gathered in the cold, dark weather to await General General Beauregard Lee's forecast for Groundhog Day.

A group of people is standing in front of the groundhog's antebellum mansion at the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn.

Game Ranch owner Art Rilling says Beauregard Lee will come outside when he wants to come out. Waffle House hash browns that are "scattered and smothered" have been placed outside the groundhog's door to entice him to come out.

The weather is dry but cloudy. The temperature is about 40 degrees.

If Lee sees his shadow, the state will see six more weeks of winter.

If he doesn't, spring will come early.

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From what I was able to find out, nearly every other groundhog (and in some towns chickens, pigs and other animals) did not see their shadow, except for one on Long Island....meaning an early spring.

Wow - its Groundhog's Day. I totally forget this 'holiday' - every year since elementary school! haha

YAY!! I am so ready for spring! I hate the cold weather, although snow is pretty -- but it's needed at Christmas time, not at Easter!

And you know, Phil's (and other's) prediciton of an early spring comes only one day after that a global warming report was released saying that global warming is a bigger problem then we thought....

I sure hope the groundhog is right. I am not enjoying the cold weather right now. I think I would enjoy winter a little more if I did not have to walk outside as much as I do now.

YAY!! I am so ready for spring! I hate the cold weather, although snow is pretty -- but it's needed at Christmas time, not at Easter!

I know what you mean, makes it kinda hard to hide those Easter eggs when you have snow on the ground!

I know what you mean, makes it kinda hard to hide those Easter eggs when you have snow on the ground!

And we HAVE had snow on Easter. If Easter comes early enough in April, there's always a chance for snow. But Christmas was a balmy 70 degrees this year.

Jen

And we HAVE had snow on Easter. If Easter comes early enough in April, there's always a chance for snow. But Christmas was a balmy 70 degrees this year.

Jen

I blame it on global warming. haha

We've had snow here in Kentucky before, albeit flurries, in early May just in time for the Derby.

I've also seen it snow here on Halloween.

I remember a few years back when it was about 75 on Thanksgiving weekend...we were out in shorts hanging up the Christmas lights. We still had ferns in hanging baskets on the front porch and we were in shorts and sweating.

Darn, I was hoping for a longer Winter, we are not just finally going to be seeing some really cold weather here over the weekend and next week finally going to be around Zero here.

And we HAVE had snow on Easter. If Easter comes early enough in April, there's always a chance for snow. But Christmas was a balmy 70 degrees this year.

Jen

We have had snow at easter as well. We have had it as early as October too. There was a few years when I was younger when the city postponed Halloween because it was to dangerous to go outside. When everyone did get to go trick or treating in NOV you couldn't see anyone's costumes because all the kids were bundled up so much. Another time in October we had a major snowstorm over a weekend wiping out most of the cities power and school was cancelled for the whole week (which was awesome!) Then the next weekend there was another big snowstorm (not as big as the first but still a pretty measureable snow) and school was cancelled for another 3 days. The only think that stunk about getting 8 days off was they had to make up a few days at the end of the year.

Now if you compare the winters from when I was younger (geez I sound old) to now you can see a major difference and I can see the affects of global warming. This has been the mildest winter that I can remember so I guess I should not complain as much as I do. We have only had 2 measurable snows in Jan. for the whole season.

Edited February 2, 200718 yr by R3dheartz

And I can remember there were winters when we'd get 10 feet of snow, blizzard conditions, and the snow would stay for weeks --- now? PSSH! A few inches and it's gone in a few days, overnight even. One good blizzard would satisfy me, and I don't need a few feet, but a good 6 to 8 inches would be nice!

We had one storm blow through here back in 1976, I was 5 years old and my dad "built" me an igloo in the front yard, that's how deep the snow was. It was awesome! My dad was a popsicle till he was done, but I was having fun! LOL!

Jen

We had one storm blow through here back in 1976, I was 5 years old and my dad "built" me an igloo in the front yard, that's how deep the snow was. It was awesome! My dad was a popsicle till he was done, but I was having fun! LOL!

That's awesome! We bulit in igloo once and it's surprisingly not as cold as I thought since the snow is blocking the wind. After we were done playing with it out dogs would lay down inside of it until it started to melt.