Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, calls for 6 more weeks of winter
Punxsutawney Phil made his annual Groundhog Day prediction in Pennsylvania, signaling six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow.
Cheers and groans collided in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, as Punxsutawney Phil popped out on Groundhog Day and saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter weather.
Punxsutawney Phil has made his call for 2026. In front of a bundled-up crowd at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the famous groundhog “saw his shadow” on Groundhog Day, the traditional sign that means winter will stick around for six more weeks.
The annual ritual dates back more than a century and blends old-world folklore with small-town spectacle. If Phil sees his shadow, the legend says, the cold season lingers. If he doesn’t, the story goes, an early spring is on the way.
Massive crowds gathered in central Pennsylvania for Phil's annual prognostication, enduring temperatures in the single digits, the coldest Groundhog Day since 2019.
Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)
Does Phil's forecast match AccuWeather's spring predictions?
AccuWeather released its U.S. spring forecast on Jan. 28, and long-rage forecasters say most of the southern half of the country will see an early arrival of springlike weather.
"A slower transition to persistent spring warmth can occur from the northern Rockies to the Northeast," AccuWeather Long-Range Expert Paul Pastelok said.
Click here to read the full breakdown of the spring forecast.
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