In the small borough of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, thousands gather each year in early February to witness the decision of the infamous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil. Rising from this winter’s slumber — and much to the chagrin of many people — Phil saw his shadow, a supposed sign that six more weeks of winter awaited the nation.

Groundhog Day, a ceremonial holiday that dates back to 1886, originates from a European tradition that signifies the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.

While Phil’s accuracy can be debated, the event in its entirety is meant to be fun and silly. Yet it begs the question, do people actually trust Phil’s prediction, especially after the weather respite that Chicagoans experienced in mid-February?

Tom Skilling, a retired Chicago meteorologist who worked for WGN news for 45 years, says that while Groundhog Day is a fun thing to experience, he hopes people don’t take it too seriously.

“Those of us in the scientific arena kind of frown on that,” Skilling told The DePaulia. “There have been some studies that have shown the groundhog’s right about 30% of the time, … and the Farmer’s Almanac has a track record which isn’t much better.”

“You’d do better with a coin flip.”

Indeed, Phil’s track record isn’t the brightest. Compared to other groundhogs, he has ranked in 17th place based on his weather-predicting accuracy over the past 20 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Staten Island Chuck, a groundhog at the Staten Island Zoo, also known as Charles G. Hogg, ranks first with his more reliable reading of the weather. Several other furry critters also placed ahead of Phil.

Students at DePaul have conflicting opinions about the importance of Punxsutawney Phil’s yearly prediction.

Even though she knows it’s “a little silly,” Jeniri Campos, a DePaul junior studying public relations and advertising, says that she trusts Phil.

“I love that we have a random tradition that we’ve decided to continue doing, even on a national level,” Campos said. “Stuff like this makes us come together as humans and, for a brief moment, indulge in something lighthearted.”

While some enjoy the playful energy that the holiday brings, others don’t see any merit in Phil or his yearly holiday.

Grace Gunter, a DePaul sophomore film studies major, argues that while people enjoy tradition, she doesn’t really care.

“I think it’s stupid,” Gunter said. “Like, unless it’s science-based, then I don’t really think anyone can say they know what’s going on, unless they have it anchored in fact.”

After plunging into subzero freezes in January, mid-February brought Chicago residents a sudden and dramatic warm spell.

Chicagoans ran to the lakefront and ditched their parkas for shorts as temperatures reached 65 degrees on days like Monday, Feb 16. While warm, meteorologists warned that winter was not over — and cooler temperatures have indeed returned.

“History is replete with examples of snow from this point forward, even though you’ll get warm spells,” Skilling said, referring to some days when temperatures topped 60 degrees. “But you can’t roll out a snow yet or a cold spell‚ in fact, multiple snows or cold spells, before we’re finally done with all this and into summer.”

For now, Skilling suggests preparing for anything.

“I would tell anybody, have a pair of shorts nearby in the months ahead,” he said, “but by the same token, have some warm … gear, too — because we’re going to use it.”

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