Marmot with the peak of Grossglockner in the background, Austria
© SeppFriedhuber/Getty Image
Did it see its shadow?
For many people, the last year has been a bit like the movie 'Groundhog Day', with every day feeling the same. But as luck would have it, today actually is Groundhog Day over in America. This marmot in Austria popped up to see… a rainbow? We're not sure what that means for the weather forecast, but it feels like a good sign. (The groundhog is a type of North American marmot.)
In the US, the annual tradition says that if the groundhog sees its shadow, six more weeks of winter are in store. If it doesn't, then an early spring could be on the cards. There's no science behind it; the custom has its roots in Pennsylvania Dutch culture and was popularised by one of the state’s local newspapers, the Punxsutawney Spirit, in 1887 - and again by the Bill Murray movie in 1993.
Related Images
Bright Eye sea cave, Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, USA
Tamihi Creek, British Columbia, Canada
Rio Grande river, Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA
Sea stacks on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Waterfall at Pöllat Gorge near Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, USA
Mount Snowdon and the Llanberis Pass from Dinorwic quarry, Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, UK
Spring ice along the shore of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Today Bing
Hoary marmot in Denali National Park, Alaska
Alpine marmots at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
European ground squirrel
