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MisterPaulCraig OP t1_j6z024j wrote

Reply to comment by Galaghan in [OC] An interactive map of North America's prognosticating groundhogs by MisterPaulCraig

Groundhog Day is a North American holiday where groundhogs predict the arrival of spring. According to tradition, if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2nd, it means six more weeks of winter. No shadow means an early spring.

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Galaghan t1_j6z11ux wrote

What does "sees it's shadow" mean?

Aren't groundhogs jittery creatures that look around constantly? How would they not see their shadow?

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MisterPaulCraig OP t1_j6z9bw6 wrote

In practice, I think it means that if the sun is out it will see its shadow. You can get more of the lore on this page: https://groundhog-day.com/history-of-groundhog-day

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DoubleFelix t1_j701h2d wrote

Which is weird; I'd expect a shadow to mean more sun to mean clearer skies to mean more spring-like. Maybe these groundhogs know something about meteorology that I don't.

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MisterPaulCraig OP t1_j70ro5f wrote

It's counterintuitive, but spring weather is usually pretty overcast and grey, which is what this comes from I think.

> Spring weather can be pretty miserable — oftentimes it’s grey and rainy and wet — whereas the middle of winter has plenty of bright, clear days where it is insensibly cold outside. Essentially, the Candlemas prediction assumes that overcast weather is a harbinger of spring, whereas a clear day means you’re still in the thick of winter.

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