Every February 2, people across the U.S. watch a groundhog exit its burrow. The idea is that if it sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it doesn’t, spring will come early! But how accurate is this tradition? The bar graph below shows the accuracy of the nation’s most popular groundhogs.
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Math,
Groundhog Day Data
Analyze a bar graph of Groundhog Day predictions.
By Jess McKenna-Ratjen
From the February 2026 Issue
SOURCE: NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Scale:
Set of numbers showing the data counted, starting at zero
Title:
Tells what the graph is about
Bar:
The total amount in a category
X-Axis label:
Describes the categories of data
Y-Axis label:
Tells what is being counted
Do you think observing groundhogs is a good way to predict when spring will arrive? Use data from the graph to support your answer.
What Is a Groundhog?
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