The District has its own groundhog to tell us when spring is expect to arrive.

Potomac Phil, a stuffed groundhog, saw his shadow Monday morning in Dupont Circle and that means there will be six more weeks of winter.

He was joined in Dupont Circle by neighborhood commissioners from ANC 2B and D.C. Council member Jack Evans (Ward 2).

The nationally known groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow too, predicting six more weeks of winter. His prediction came in around 7:30 a.m. in Punxsutawney, Pa., where there were overcast skies and scattered snow and rain showers.

Washington Post columnist John Kelly reported that the groundhog is “currently taxidermied,” according to Aaron DeNu, the organizer of the Groundhog Day celebration.

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In his Monday column, Kelly writes — “In Pennsylvania, they say that Punxsutawney Phil is kept alive by a magic elixir. We’re looking to get that magic elixir for Potomac Phil.”

Kelly goes on to say that Aaron heads up Dupont Festival, a nonprofit organization that in warmer months screens movies at the circle, hosts plays and concerts and sponsors chess tournaments. Three years ago, seeing a vacuum in the District’s groundhog-related festivities, Aaron launched this event.

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