6 more weeks of winter? Some expert predictions contradict Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Penn. — The immortal Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this Groundhog’s Day, indicating six more weeks of winter, but hold on to your tophats — over the next few months, a good portion of the U.S. is expected to see above-average temperatures.

Scientifically speaking, winter will officially come to an end on the equinox on March 20, regardless of what Phil predicts. But Mother Nature doesn’t always follow the timetable, and neither does Phil.

Though Phil has no meteorology degree, every year the United States tunes in for his prediction.

Phil’s track record is not perfect. “On average, Phil has gotten it right 40% of the time over the past 10 years,” according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which manages “one of the largest archives of atmospheric, coastal, geophysical, and oceanic research in the world.”

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The three-month temperature outlook for February through April 2023 calls for above-normal temperatures across the eastern and southern U.S. and below-normal temperatures for the northwestern U.S., according to the Climate Prediction Center.

Thousands of miles from Punxsutawney, California, Nevada and other western states have seen considerable snowfall this season. This trend is likely to continue throughout the month of February.

But as the climate warms, early springs are expected to become more commonplace. Winter (December, January, February) is the fastest-warming season for 75% of 238 U.S. locations, according to Climate Central’s data analysis.

Despite his mixed record when it comes to actually forecasting the weather, there’s no doubt Phil’s fans still hold him in high regard.

After all, his full title is Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.

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