Will Phill Be Spooked?

It is that time of year, again! February 2nd marks Groundhog Day, a time when most hold their breath in hopes of a cloudy day to keep Punxsutawney Phil happy and above ground so that spring will be just a few short weeks away. Winter 2018 has been a cold one, with local schools closing for dangerous temperatures and heating bills soaring through the roof. Most residents, save those related to Jack Frost, are hoping that Old Man Winter will make an early exit and soon we can return to the more mild temperatures of spring.

But, if we are to believe legends, the arrival of spring and our return to relative comfort all rests on the shoulders of a hairy little beast named Phil. The kicker is that Phil doesn’t even live in East Tennessee so it seems unfair that our climatic future is tied to a Yankee groundhog. Be that as it may, we will all be waiting and watching for Phil’s declaration of an early spring or six more weeks of winter. Should Phil fail us and declare that winter weather is expected until late March, we can take solace in the fact that predicting the weather in East Tennessee is like trying to catch the wind. If you want to know what the weather is in East Tennessee, even Punxsutawney Phil would be better off just looking out the window! Happy Groundhog Day!