WASHINGTON – On the same day that Punxsutawney Phil makes his winter prediction in Punxsutawney, Pa., Potomac Phil emerged to tell D.C. residents what they didn’t want to hear.
There are six more weeks of winter coming.
Potomac Phil isn’t actually a real groundhog, he’s stuffed. Event organizer, Aaron Denu, tried to get a real live animal on short notice, but couldn’t quite manage it.
Huffington Post reports that he called the National Zoo, and they offered a prairie dog. Denu decided to keep the stuffed groundhog.
Denu says that according to groundhog mythology, Potomac Phil is Punxsutawney’s lesser known, sometimes inaccurate, brother who also predicts whether winter will extend six weeks longer.
Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), in the running for D.C.’s next mayor, attended the event and announced Phil’s prediction.
WTOP’s David Burd contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
