Ever Wondered Whether Groundhogs Can Predict the Weather?

Punxsutawney Phil gets a special wake-up call on this day every year. (By Gene J. Puskar -- Associated Press)

In the 1800s, a little town in western Pennsylvania called Punxsutawney began an annual celebration in which a local groundhog became a weather forecaster.

In 1887, the groundhog, named Phil, was taken to a hill called Gobbler's Knob, where the event has been held every year since. Now thousands of visitors go each year to watch people in tuxedoes awaken Phil and take him outside to look for his shadow.

The 1993 movie "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray made Punxsutawney very popular, though other cities and towns have their own celebrations with their own groundhogs.

So how good are groundhogs at predicting the weather?

Not good at all.

It is said that generally they are right less than half the time -- even though the people in Punxsutawney insist that Phil is never wrong!

-- Valerie Strauss

SOURCES: "The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents)," by Judy Galens and Nancy Pear, from Visible Ink Press; http://www.groundhog.org; http://www.farmersalmanac.com; http://www.pittsburgh.about.com/cs/punxsutawney/a/groundhog_day.htm