2018 Punxsutawney Phil, the meteorological rodent of winter predictions, saw his shadow on
Feb. 2 on Groundhog Day. Folks wrote back with funny replies to the
police post on the social media page.Judy Berezansky said: "You have
identified the wrong suspect. Queen Elsa is behind the weather."
And
Melanie Brigham Nason asked: "Could you put out a warrant for Snow
Miser too? I think they are working together."Jon Do just said: "Run
Phil! The po-po are after you! Phil, however, may be difficult to catch. Police asked that people not approach him because he's "armed and dangerous."
Punxsutawney Phil Sowerby is the name of a succession of groundhogs in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. On February 2 (Groundhog Day) each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the legendary groundhog with a festive atmosphere of music and food. During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges with his "wife" Phyllis and "daughter" Phelicia from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about 2 miles (3 km) south-east of town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter-like weather. If Phil does not see his shadow, he has predicted an "early spring." The date of Phil's prognostication is known as Groundhog Day in the United States and Canada, and has been celebrated since 1887. Punxsutawney Phil became a national celebrity thanks to the movie, Groundhog Day.
A select group, called the Inner Circle, takes care of Phil year-round and also plans the annual ceremony. Members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club's Inner Circle are recognizable by their top hats and tuxedos. The Inner Circle decides whether Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow or not several days in advance of the actual ceremony; its criteria remain a trade secret.