Groundhog in PA predicts spring, while prairie dog in Denver says more winter: Who's right?

Today, on Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania, groundhog weatherman Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, thus predicting that an early spring is on the way. But last week, on no sort of knob whatsoever, a Denver Zoo prairie dog named Daisy crawled out of her enclosure and did see her...

By Melanie Asmar

February 2, 2011

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Today, on Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania, groundhog weatherman Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, thus predicting that an early spring is on the way. But last week, on no sort of knob whatsoever, a Denver Zoo prairie dog named Daisy crawled out of her enclosure and did see her shadow, predicting a long winter for the Mile High City. Who to believe?

"We gotta go with local," says zoo spokesman Sean Andersen-Vie. "Punxsutawney Phil can do his thing out East, but we're going to stick to our prairie dog out West."

Them's fightin' words.

Watch the videos below and judge for yourself who's more credible. Punxsutawney Phil is certainly more showy; his weather-predicting ceremony involved old-timey scrolls and men in top hats. The Denver Zoo's ceremony, on the other hand, guest stars a strawberry and a curious toddler who watches for a few seconds and then loses interest.

More from our Film archive: "Groundhog Day: Five underappreciated Bill Murray roles."

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Melanie Asmar is a staff writer for Westword. She joined the paper in 2009 and has won awards for her stories about education, immigration and epic legal battles. Got a tip? She'd love to hear it.

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