Groundhog predicts 6 more weeks of winter; temperatures in Fort Worth to be ‘above normal’

Nicole Lopez
·1 min read
1

Six more weeks of winter are predicted after Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow during a Groundhog Day celebration Thursday.

People gathered at the event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, at Gobbler’s Knob, a tourist information center, where Phil saw his shadow after being called from his tree stump.

https://twitter.com/TDEM/status/1621134401437585409?s=20&t=KYEHoP8Pb2N7rGmyp4UNkQ

Groundhog Day originated in Germany. On what was originally known as Candlemas Day in Europe, Germany introduced an animal into the folklore, claiming if the hedgehog saw his shadow there would be a “Second Winter” or six more weeks of “bad weather,” the legend goes, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website.

Temperatures in North Texas are predicted to be above normal and precipitation slightly below normal for the rest of winter, say officials from the National Weather Service Fort Worth office.

There is a 33 to 40 percent chance of rain for the Fort Worth area from Feb. 8 to Feb. 24, according to NWS winter weather probabilities and long-range forecast data.

Temperatures are predicted to be near normal from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12, and slightly above normal from Feb. 10 to Feb. 16 in North Texas. Temperatures will likely be 55 to 60 percent above normal from Feb. 11 to Feb. 24.