Punxsutawney Phil Makes Groundhog Day Prediction

Punxsutawney Phil, the world-renowned groundhog known for his weather predictions, emerged from his burrow in western Pennsylvania early Sunday, casting a shadow that traditionally signifies six more weeks of winter. This age-old folklore, dating back 132 years, suggests that if the furry forecaster had not seen his shadow, an early spring could have been on the horizon.

Sunday’s prediction marked a special occasion for Phil, as it was his first Groundhog Day as a father. In March 2024, Phil and his partner Phyliss welcomed two healthy offspring, Sunny and Shadow, into the world.

Before Phil’s prediction, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro addressed a petition from PETA, the animal rights organization, which proposed replacing the groundhog with a vegan cake for a ‘weather reveal’. PETA had written to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, suggesting that Phil and his family be allowed to retire to a sanctuary, with the cake serving as a new tradition. Shapiro defended the groundhog, stating that anyone wishing to replace Phil would have to go through him and the local community.

The Groundhog Day tradition, held annually at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, draws a crowd of over 40,000 people. However, Phil’s weather predictions have not always been accurate. According to a study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Phil has correctly predicted the change in seasons only about 35% of the time over the past two decades.

The Groundhog Day ritual has its roots in the European holiday of Candlemas, celebrated on February 2. During this holiday, Christians would bring candles to church to be blessed. An old English folk song associated with the holiday suggested that if the weather on Candlemas was fair and bright, winter would continue. This interpretation of the holiday spread throughout Europe, reaching Germany where a hedgehog was incorporated into the tradition. If the hedgehog saw its shadow on Candlemas, it was believed that a “second winter” was imminent.

When German settlers arrived in the United States, they brought their traditions and folklore with them. Due to the lack of hedgehogs in the U.S., a similar hibernating animal, the groundhog, was chosen to carry on the tradition. The first mention of Groundhog Day in the U.S. was in a Punxsutawney newspaper in 1886, with the first official event at Gobbler’s Knob taking place the following year.

While Punxsutawney Phil is the most well-known, he is not the only groundhog making weather predictions. Staten Island Chuck in New York has a more reliable track record, accurately predicting the arrival of spring 85% of the time over the last 20 years, according to NOAA. Georgia’s General Beauregard Lee is another notable groundhog, boasting an 80% accuracy rate over the past two decades. Phil, however, does not rank in the top 10, coming in at 17th place.