Festivities, celebrities and weather discrepancies take center stage at Gobbler's Knob tomorrow morning when world-renowned animal meteorologist, Punxsutawney Phil, foretells our future forecast.
Nowhere else has such an inaccurate and informal forecaster held his job so long. Serving as an inspiration to every erroneous weatherperson today, Phil has been calling for flakes or rays at Groundhog Day in "Punsxy" every Feb. 2 since 1886.
But the prestigious Pennsylvanian groundhog was not the first animal meteorologist. During the Roman conquest of the Teutons, now known as the Germans, a hedgehog would cast a shadow on Candlemas Day, thus predicting six more weeks of bad weather. They then interpolated it as the length of the "Second Winter." Wanting to carry on the tradition in Pennsylvania, German settlers determined that the groundhog, a resemblance to the European hedgehog, was a most intelligent animal in the farmland.
Intelligent — and threatening, too. During Prohibition, Phil threatened 60 more weeks of winter if he wasn't allowed a drink to keep warm. And he's done his share of hob-nobbing outside of Gobbler's Knob. Phil has also met with President Reagan in 1986 and burrowed his way to Chicago for a memorable interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1995.
Phil could not be reached for comment on his prediction, but Punxsutawney bound Penn State student Jason Anders (senior-psychology) has one of his own.
"I'm just going to see what my shadow has to say," Anders said. "It can't be that different than Phil's." Anders is one of many Penn State students planning to trek to Punxsutawney for the annual event. His party is leaving Friday night, hoping to get a good view of Phil's prognostication at the Knob.
Over 30,000 people are estimated to be there tomorrow morning to talk about the weather, not the most stimulating of conversations. Anders' roommate, Mike Lorincy (junior-psychology), hopes to strike up a chat with special guest Amber Brkich, Survivor II cast member and castaway.
"I had a crush on her ever since I watched her on that show," Lorincy said (junior-psychology). "I could certainly survive six more weeks of winter if I got her phone number!" Ice sculpting, arts and crafts sales, and chainsaw carving are just a few of the many family activities centered around Punxsutawney's historic holiday. Terry Jericho, events coordinator of the Groundhog Club, is overseeing all the special activities running congruent with Phil's announcement.
"Since the movie came out, we had more visitors every year so we have the activities in town to keep them busy," she said. Other activities are a castle maze, an inflatable balloon typhoon and 21 marriages at Phil's Wedding Chapel.
"We have people coming from Utah and Colorado to get married here," she said. But let's not forget about the always fun Groundhog Bingo, Phil's Chili Cook Off, and Groundhog Day — the movie — viewing and trivia contest. More event and activity listings can be found at www.groundhog.org.
Jericho expects another record attendance this year, especially since Groundhog Day falls on a weekend. Parking will be extremely tight. Imagine 30,000 people parking in a town of 7,000 where the largest parking lot is a grocery store.
"They'll just have to find places to park around town," she said. "Everyone has to ride the shuttle bus if they want to get to Gobbler's Knob or they can walk 1.5 miles uphill." The shuttle will loop around town, stopping at County Market, Bi-Lo Plaza, McDonald's, the Christian Missionary and Alliance Church, First Church of God and the Uni-mart. The ride costs $2 and starts its loop around Punxsy at 2:30 a.m., half an hour after the bars' last call.
Phil hasn't cast his shadow only 14 times in his 116 years in the business, but seven of those 14 came in the last 19 years. Judging by our tepid winter weather, odds lean toward an early spring, but only Phil can be the official judge of that, in Punsxutawney that is.
