PETRONILA, Texas — While Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter for the country, our South Texas groundhog, Petronila Pete, predicted the opposite.
Petronila Pete did not see his shadow due to fog in the area on Wednesday morning, meaning an early spring for the Coastal Bend.
The legend is simple. If the groundhog sees his shadow and retreats to his burrow, cold weather will persist into March. If he doesn’t see his shadow, spring will begin.
The annual event has its origin in a German legend about a furry rodent. Records dating to the late 1800s show Phil has predicted longer winters more than 100 times. Last year, Phil also predicted six more weeks of winter.
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