Groundhog Day is a day celebrated on February 2. According to folklore, if it is cloudy when a groundhog (group of large ground squirrels) emerges from its burrow on this day, then spring will come early. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.

Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow. In southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) celebrate the holiday with fersommlinge, social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania German dialect is the only language spoken at the event, and those who speak English pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime or quarter, per word spoken, put into a bowl in the center of the table.
The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Groundhog Day, already a widely recognized and popular tradition, received widespread attention as a result of the eponymous 1993 film Groundhog Day, which was set in Punxsutawney and portrayed Punxsutawney Phil.
This year, lots of folks showed up at Wildwood Metropark on Groundhog Day to see Wildwood Willie make his annual prognostication. But did they remember what the weather was like last year? People at today's event didn't seem to remember.
Local resident Robert Stewert said, "I think it was sunnier last year. Even though it's nicer this year, we actually had sunshine last year."
Betsy Harloff didn't even remember the snow. "I don't, I don't! Was it snowy last year?"
Yes there was. In fact, 6 to 10 inches of snow fell on northwest Ohio during the 2 day 2011 "Groundhog Day" snowstorm. Last year in Fulton County, plows worked overtime as some spots saw 10 inches of snow. In Fremont, a snowy scene last Groundhog Day. And it wasn't just the snow. Winds gusted up to 40 to 50 miles per hour creating blizzard conditions across the region at times. Sylvania and Toledo and the surrounding area racked 6 to 10 inches of snow over the first two days of February-- a mere taste of what was to be the snowiest February on record in Toledo.
Resident Kim High remembered exactly what she was doing last year. "Last Groundhog Day, I was huddle up in my house because we had a blizzard. So the groundhog was definitely huddled up underground and he was not seeing his shadow that day."

But February 2, 2012 on a much milder, snow-free day at Wildwood, Wildwood Willie did NOT see his shadow, signaling that an early spring is already on the way.
Predictions of various groundhog

Predictions of various groundhogs for 2012

Date Prediction Groundhog Location

2012 Early spring Buckeye Chuck Marion, Ohio
2012 Early spring Staten Island Chuck Staten Island (New York City)
2012 Early spring Holtsville Hal Holtsville, New York
2012 6 more weeks of winter Malverne Mel Malverne, New York
2012 Early spring General Beauregard Lee Lilburn, Georgia
2012 6 more weeks of winter Fred Val d'Espoir, Quebec
2012 Early spring Wiarton Willie Wiarton, Ontario
2012 6 more weeks of winter Punxsutawney Phil Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
2012 Early springShubenacadie Sam Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia
2012 Early springWoody the Woodchuck Howell, Michigan
2012 6 more weeks of winter Western Maryland Murray Cumberland, Maryland
2012 6 more weeks of winter Grady the Groundhog Chimney Rock, North Carolina
2012 Early spring Nibbles Asheville, North Carolina
2012 6 more weeks of winter Queen Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina
2012 6 more weeks of winter Sir Walter Wally Raleigh, North Carolina
2012 Early spring Mortimer Garner, North Carolina
2012 Early spring Chattanooga Chuck Chattanooga, Tennessee
2012 6 more weeks of winter Uni Myerstown, Pennsylvania
2012 6 more weeks of winter Mount Joy Minnie Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
2012 Early spring Patty Pagoda Reading, Pennsylvania
2012 Early Spring French Creek Freddie French Creek, West Virginia
2012 Early Spring Woodstock Willie Woodstock, Illinois
2012 6 more weeks of winter Balzac Billy Balzac, Alberta
2012 Early Spring Lawrenceville Lucy Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
2012 Early Spring Stormy Marmot Aurora, Colorado
2012 Early Spring Smith Lake Jake Graysville, Alabama
2012 Early Spring Sir Thomas Hastings Hastings, Nebraska
2012 Early spring Sutton Sammy Sutton, Ontario
2012 Early spring Gus Athens, Georgia
2012 Early spring Jimmy the Groundhog Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
2012 Early spring Poor Richard York, Pennsylvania
2012 Early spring Susquehanna Sherman Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania
2012 Early spring Dover Doug Dover, Pennsylvania
2012 Early spring Wynter the Groundhog Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2012 Early spring Chuckles Manchester, Connecticut
2012 Early spring Dunkirk Dave Dunkirk, New York
2012 Early spring Octoraro Orphie Quarryville, Pennsylvania

Prediction accuracy

Groundhog Day proponents state that the rodents' forecasts are accurate 75% to 90% of the time. A Canadian study for 13 cities in the past 30 to 40 years puts the success rate level at 37%. Also, the National Climatic Data Center reportedly has stated that the overall prediction accuracy rate is around 39%.

But it can't all be butterflies and rainbows and groundhogs. We have to ask: Can groundhogs really predict what Mother Nature has in store?

The U.S. National Climatic Data Center says that the answer is "no."

"It really isn't a 'bright' idea to take a measure such as a groundhog's shadow and use it as a predictive meteorological tool for the entire United States," the center says on its website.

Whatever may be the facts, it's a celebration for us. We can forgive them if they go wrong! Just poor animals!