Punxsutawney Phil has given us his highly anticipated annual weather prediction for Groundhog Day—six more weeks of winter.
Every year, on February 2, people across the U.S. turn to a familiar meteorological marmot to determine whether the end of the winter season is in sight in a popular tradition known as Groundhog Day.
The customary ceremony is held each year at Gobbler's Knob in Pennsylvania, where people gather to await Punxsutawney Phil's prediction.
According to tradition, if Punxsutawney Phil spots his shadow and the weather is clear, another six weeks of winter lie ahead. However, if he does not see his shadow and the day is overcast, we're set for an early spring.
In this instance, Phil did catch a glimpse of his shadow, indicating that six more weeks of winter loom.
What is Groundhog Day?
The popular ceremony is one of the oldest traditions in the U.S., and dates back as far as 1886.
The bizarre tradition has its roots in old German folklore, and made its way to the U.S. in the 1800s as German settlers arrived on the East Coast.
Germans traditionally used a hedgehog to help them predict the remainder of winter's duration, and began turning to the groundhog upon arrival in the U.S. as it was more common to the area.
The German tradition itself originates from the ancient European Christian celebration known as Candlemas Day.
The tradition is held on February 2 each year as it marks the midway point of the winter season, as the date roughly falls half-way point between the December solstice and the March equinox.
The first recorded celebration of Groundhog Day in the U.S. was declared by the local newspaper The Punxsutawney Spirit in 1886, and the first statewide celebration was held the following year.
Over the years, Punxsutawney Phil's predictions have been a bit hit-and-miss. The independent almanac Stormfax, which has tracked all Groundhog Day results since 1887, found that Phil's predictions have been correct just 39% of the time.
The Groundhog Day celebration also became the focal point of a popular 1993 film starring Bill Murray that was named after the same event.
Where Can I Watch The Groundhog Day Ceremony?
For those seeking to follow Punxsutawney Phil's predictions from the comfort of their own home, Pennsylvania state broadcaster PCN TV has arranged coverage.
PCN TV will be broadcasting the ceremony live locally across Pennsylvania, but viewers can also watch the livestream of the event on the network's website.
Coverage of the annual event starts at 6:00 a.m. ET this morning.
The state's tourism board will also be covering the event, as the ceremony will be live-streamed from the Visit PA website as well as its YouTube page. The livestream will begin at 7:15 a.m. this morning.
The star of the event, Punxsutawney Phil, is expected to make his yearly meteorological prediction around 7:20 a.m.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
