ROANOKE, Va. – If you believe a rodent and don’t like winter, you’re in luck because Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, which according to legend means spring is right around the corner.
The legend himself, Punxsutawney Phil, AKA America’s favorite rodent, graced us with his presence to share his prediction for the weather. Locals were beyond excited that the shadow was far, and spring is in the near future.
Phil and his fellow groundhog buddies have been predicting the seasons since 1887. But some are suspicious.
“I want to believe him. Do I put faith in a groundhog? No,” a Roanoke local said.
And others are already looking forward to spring weather.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the past 10 years, Punxsutawney Phil has been correct a whopping 30 percent of the time. I talked with a less furry forecaster, our WSLS Chief Meteorologist Jeff Haniewich about if his weather predictions match Mr. Phil’s.
“It looks to me like we are getting a taste of spring right now, it looks like as we head mid to later part of the month we are going to turn cold again. So, look, it’s a taste of spring right now, but I think we are not done with winter weather just yet, I think we will have a cold snap later this month,” Haniewich said.
Time will tell if Punxsutawney Phil or Jeff Haniewich takes the “dub” with weather predictions, but locals all around are hoping the cold weather makes its way out.