Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, delcares six more weeks of winter

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) - Thursday, just before 7:30 a.m. the groundhog from central Pennsylvania made his annual weather prediction.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which means we are in store for six more weeks of winter. With this winter being like it's been, six more weeks of it might not be so bad.

Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow, winter will hang around for another six weeks. If not, spring is on its way.

Here's our question; Where did the strange tradition come from? Meteorologist Keenan Smith explains:

O.K. Rodents only get one day a year and today is that day: Groundhog Day. The tradition started back in the 1800's when German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania. Back in Europe, hedgehogs were the rodent of choice, but they aren't native to North America, so they improvised. Thus Groundhog Day was born. (Just think... it could've been Hedgehog Day!)

According to Stam Zervanos, professor of biology at Penn State Berks, male Groundhogs emerge from hibernation looking for love. If they find a mate too soon, the newborns could struggle to survive due to limited food at the tail end of winter. Mate too late and their babies may not be able to gain enough weight to last through the next seasons hibernation. Getting the timing just right is crucial.

Here are a couple of links about Groundhogs, their ability to predict the weather, and where this unusual tradition started.