Ground Hog Day

So Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today.

To me that is not a lot of information. I'm always confused by the folksy sayings that accompany this sort of thing. I remember the concept but not the specifics. If he sees his shadow, does that mean more or less winter? Isn't it sort of like "feed a fever, starve a cold" where no one is ever sure which way the saying goes? Feed a cold or a fever? Which one do you starve? Is it alliterative - like "righty tighty, lefty loosey" or is there something else going on there?

I had to go to my mother to get the straight scoop - she was born on Ground Hog Day in Pennsylvania - ground zero for such stuff. She says it is obvious - he sees his shadow and is scared (startled?) by it and hides again - therefore, 6 more weeks of winter. It seems counterintuitive to me - more like if you came out and saw the sun you would linger in it, frolicking as it were, and thereby predict an earlier spring.

To further confuse things, it appears that more folks are trying to cash in on Phil's con game - here in Seattle there is a bullfrog in an aquarium who predicts not only the length of winter, but also the outcome of the Super Bowl game. No 'folksy' saying here though - purportedly this soothsayer just whispers in his caretaker's ear. Hmmmmmm.

In any case - confusions aside - I can, on this Ground Hog Day, firmly and with complete confidence... wish my mother a very happy birthday!