Weather

The National Weather Service in Portland/Gray, Maine, said an unusual phenomenon was responsible for the cold temperatures.

"No matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter weather," Punxsutawney Phil's handlers read aloud from a scroll early Thursday.

Punxsutawney Phil’s long-term accuracy is only around 39%, meaning some other prognosticators have more accurate predictions. From ducks and chickens to squirrels and hedgehogs, many states have their own animal prognosticator.

After the highest initial count in two decades around Thanksgiving, atmospheric river-fueled storms led to the loss of the iconic western monarch butterflies.