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 HE SAW HIS SHADOW - SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER
According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow on February 2, there will be six weeks of bad weather prior to the arrival of spring; and if he doesn’t, the next six weeks will be mild.
So, you may wonder why we take our weather predictions from a rodent that’s afraid of its own shadow. While it may seem frivolous, Groundhog Day actually has a long and solemn history.
It starts with the ancient observation that hibernating creatures signal the onset of spring by waking up and emerging from their dens.
Romans celebrated the return of light in February (from februa, meaning “to purify”) as a time of cleansing in preparation for a fresh start.
A Hebrew tradition required mothers to be purified in the temple 40 days after giving birth. This ritual became part of the Christian tradition when the Virgin Mary underwent purification after the birth of Jesus.
Lighting candles was part of this ritual, and so the festival of lights and the return of spring was called “Candlemas”. This tradition continued with early Christians in Europe.
Early Germans linked this time of new light with weather predictions, using badgers or hedgehogs as the predictor animal. They brought the observance with them when they immigrated to America.
 February 2 also has a scientific basis it is halfway between the first day of winter (December 21) and the first day of spring (March 20).
In the 1800s, a western Pennsylvania newspaper editor declared a groundhog to be the new weatherman -- and Punxsutawney Phil was born.
Since then, many states have promoted their own groundhog characters. In Ohio, a radio personality discovered Buckeye Chuck in Marion, and in 1979, the legislature made it official -- Buckeye Chuck predicts the weather for Ohio.
The groundhog also called woodchuck or whistle-pig is a stout rodent brown fur and an appetite for low-growing green vegetation, such as grasses and leaves. They stand upright, looking out for predators and whistling in alarm when one is spotted.
Groundhogs dig dens along forest edges, brushy fencerows, and in grassy fields. A den may be five feet underground and 30 feet long. The den has several rooms where groundhogs raise their young and hibernate.
The groundhog is a true hibernator, relying on body fat for its long winter’s sleep. During hibernation (generally between October and April), it rolls up into a ball; its heartbeat slows, body temperature drops, and respiration decreases. It can lose up to one-half its body weight during this time.
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