Do you think this hoary marmot in Alaska’s Denali National Park is wondering whether its relative, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow today? Groundhog Day is an American tradition that originated among the Pennsylvania Dutch, but groundhogs aren’t the only animals believed to predict the weather. It’s said you can predict the severity of an upcoming winter by examining the stripes on a woolly bear caterpillar’s back. And in Germany, folks once looked to the badger to forecast the coming of spring. But no furry prognosticator of the weather has gained as much fame as Punxsutawney Phil. Perhaps we have Bill Murray to thank for that? (Be right back, got to cue up Murray’s film ‘Groundhog Day.’) Say, do you ever have déjà vu? Wait, did we just ask you that?
Groundhog Day arrives—beyond a shadow of a doubt
Today in History
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White dunes, blue lagoons
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Over and under the delta
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World Honey Bee Day
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Sitka shines on Alaska Day
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In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
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A look at Uranus, seventh planet from the sun
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Dark Sky Week
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Decorating for Diwali
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The story of a rediscovered redwood
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Crested caracaras
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In the path of the pronghorn
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Life goes on at the Beatles Ashram
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A peek at an explosive peak
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The wild heart of Tasmania
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Happy Astronomy Day!
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Blackbird in Essex, England
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Wild lupines
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World Theater Day
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International Mountain Day
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A night on the (ghost) town
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Rumelihisarı in Istanbul, Türkiye
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Go climb a tree
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A whale of a picture
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Cherry blossoms spring to life
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Ronda, Spain
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Happy birthday to the Peak!
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Heron lies the Salton Sea
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Take the Stairs Day
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Up in the Highlands
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50 years of the Endangered Species Act