Punxsutawney’s famous groundhog, Phil, emerged from his burrow to see his shadow Thursday, signaling six more weeks of winter. Temperatures were near freezing when he came out at dawn—following this winter’s pattern of unusually warm weather. The “prediction” is, however, just a ceremonial tradition: a group called the Inner Circle meets to decide in advance what Phil’s ruling will be. Phil has seen his shadow 100 times and not seen it 16 times since 1887, the year the tradition began.
