'Arrest Warrant' Issued for Punxsutawney Phil in New Hampshire

Police cite his failure to disclose more winter meant "mountains of snow."

ByABC News
February 11, 2015, 3:24 PM

— -- Police in New Hampshire have issued an "arrest warrant" for Punxsutawney Phil, citing his failure to disclose that six more weeks of winter "would consist of mountains of snow."

Merrimack police uploaded a humorous post to its Facebook page that it was issuing a "warrant" for Phil, the groundhog who saw his shadow last Monday and "forecasted" six more weeks of winter.

"We have received several complaints from the public that this little varmint is held up in a hole, warm and toasty," reads the department's post, which has received nearly 2,000 "likes" and has been shared more than 3,400 times.

Parts of New England have seen record snowfall this winter. February was Boston's snowiest month on record, according to the city's mayor.

It's unclear if police in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where Phil lives, would extradite the groundhog to Merrimack if he was arrested.

Police in Merrimack also posted an incorrect photo of Phil, instead using a photo of the mischievous groundhog from the 1980 Bill Murray film "Caddyshack."

"If you see him, do not approach him as he is armed and dangerous," wrote the department.

Records dating back to 1887 show Phil has only predicted an early spring 17 times.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.