The groundhog somehow manages to see spring: Can we trust Punxsutawney Phil?
As the Midwest battles depressingly severe storms, Groundhog Day's most celebrated forecaster insists that winter's end is near. What does he know, anyway?

The video: The (extremely mild) suspense is over. Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania's marmot meterologist, has emerged from his hole to give his annual Groundhog Day prediction to winter-weary Americans. This year, Phil failed to see his shadow, which traditionally means that spring is just around the corner. The groundhog's suspect forecast may (or may not) reassure Americans, as a huge storm continues to blanket two-thirds of the country with snow, ice, and freezing rain.
The reaction: "We all want to believe, but how good is Phil's word?" asks Aaron Couch at the Christian Science Monitor. Not good, unfortunately. A look at Punxsutawney's historical records finds that "the rodent weatherman was right only about 39 percent of the time." He'd be better off tossing a coin (if anatomically capable of doing so). With a record like that, he should just give up, says Chris Menning at Buzzfeed. "You're a groundhog," Phil. "You didn't even go to meteorology school," and what's more, "your top hat looks ridiculous." See Punxsutawney Phil make his widely dismissed prediction:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?