Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil Missed Up on Call for Early Spring, Distracted With Arrival of his New Groundhog Family

On February 2, 2024, the most famous groundhog in America Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring after not seeing his shadow. However, some say that Phil's record is unreliable and those of us in New Mexico have been skeptical with the recent heavy snow falls throughout the state.

While Punxsutawney Phil has become a household name on Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil's record has been called into question lately with The Guardian via CNN reporting that the woodchuck’s record is unreliable and that Punxsutawney Phil has only been correct in his forecast 39% of the time since the abstruse ritual began in 1887. 

The weather in New Mexico was warm but the last week we have had a cold snap and significant snowfall calling into question Punxsutawney Phil's predictions. However we now know that the infamous groundhog may be off in his prediction this year as he was distracted.

For the first time in 138 years, Punxsutawney Phil and his wife, Phyllis, have started a family thus he was a bit distracted in  his predictions of spring this year.

The world-famous groundhog is now the father of two healthy babies born Saturday. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club made the announcement in a Facebook post on Wednesday but did not specify their sex or give their names.

Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle President Thomas Dunkel said that just like his weather prediction on Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil kept the word of expecting a family a surprise and secret. “We did not think that this would happen in captivity because it never has. But apparently, we were wrong,” Dunkel explained as reported by CBS Affiliate WTAJ.

Outside of his usual spot at Gobblers Knob on Groundhog Day, Phil and Phyllis have lived at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library in their climate-controlled burrow where they are both cared for. Dunkel said a Groundhog Club member discovered the little groundhogs when he came to feed them fresh fruits and vegetables.

“I talked to Phil with the use of my cane that lets me speak Groundhogease and Phil could not be more excited to have started a family,” Dunkel said.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club previously said that Phil has never had any children, that is until now. While Phil’s longevity has come from drinking the “elixir of life” every summer, Phyllis does not receive the Elixir.

Dunkel explained that the groundhog pups will not inherit the Seer of Seers legacy because there will always be only one Punxsutawney Phil.

KRAZY KALHRadio.org and AlamogordoTownNews.com speaking on behalf of the local citizens of Alamogordo, who were a bit upset by the cold snap this weekend, and the missed prediction of an early spring, by Punxsutawney Phil. We forgive the mixup on the early spring and congratulate Punxsutawney Phil, his partner Phyllis and the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club on the arrival of their new groundhog family!

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