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4mo ago

Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow, Calling for Six More Weeks of Winter

The frigid pre-dawn ceremony drew tens of thousands, prompting handlers to curtail Phil’s time outdoors in single-digit temperatures.

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Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 140th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Monday. Phil’s handlers said that the groundhog has forecast six more weeks of winter. 
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Overview

  • At Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the Groundhog Club announced on Feb. 2 that Phil saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter.
  • Handlers translated Phil’s “Groundhogese” before vice president Dan McGinley read the forecast from a scroll, continuing a 19th‑century tradition.
  • Tens of thousands braved single-digit, at times sub-zero, conditions, and organizers skipped post-prediction photo opportunities to limit Phil’s exposure.
  • NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information put Phil’s national accuracy at roughly 30–40% in recent years, and he has favored longer-winter calls in five of the past six years.
  • Regional animal prognosticators offered mixed results the same day, with some forecasting more winter and others predicting an early spring across the U.S. and Canada.