Punxsutawney Phil Makes an Annual Groundhog Day Predictions

What did Punxsutawney Phil have to say on Sunday when he emerged from his burrow to make his long-awaited weather forecast? Read on for all of the details.

What Does Punxsutawney Phil Have to Say About the Arrival of Spring This Year?

All eyes were on Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on Sunday morning to see if the famous rodent saw his shadow. Legend has it that there are six more weeks of winter in store if Phil sees his shadow after coming out of hibernation. Conversely, an absence of the shadow means that spring is around the corner.

It has been a hard winter for a good portion of the country. In particular, January was particularly rough with temperatures averaging about 3 to 6 degrees below average for the eastern U.S. The Gulf Coast was also hit with a massive winter storm that dropped historic amounts of snow across the region.

Unfortunately for those tired of Old Man Winter, Phil did indeed see his shadow on Sunday morning, otherwise known as Groundhog Day. Phil came out of his burrow to much pomp and circumstance only to deliver bad news to those wanting an early arrival for spring.

The annual prognostication was a bit of a surprise for meteorologists. Earlier in the week, forecasters had predicted that a thick cloud cover expected in this part of western Pennsylvania would obstruct Phil's ability to locate his shadow.

It should be noted that Phil's predictions do not line up with what meteorologists expect in the weeks ahead. According to a recent report out of The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2, a good portion of the country is expected to see temperatures that trend warmer than the norm for the rest of the winter season and into the early spring.

Spring is already starting to show signs of life in the southern U.S. However, the season could be slower to arrive in areas farther to the north.

The beginning of meteorological spring will hit on Saturday, March 1. The start of astronomical spring will take place on Thursday, March 20 at 5:01 am EST.

History of Groundhog Day

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has records detailing Phil's pursuits dating back to 1887. While 10 years of data are missing, the stats show that Phil has seen his shadow roughly five times more than the times that he has not. The year 2024 was an exception to this average as Phil did not see his shadow.

The prediction of an early spring in 2024 turned out to be on the nose. A majority of the U.S. enjoyed temperatures that were warmer than average in February and March.

Not surprisingly, the groundhog is not especially accurate when it comes to predicting the onset of spring. Dating back to 2005, Phil has only been right 35% of the time. Nevertheless, thousands of people continue to gather in the small town of Punxsutawney to see if Phil will see his shadow.

While Phil grabs all of the major headlines on Groundhog Day, there are a number of other communities across the country that commemorate the day with their version of an animal predicting what is to come for the weather. For example, Ms. G owns the honor of being the official groundhog of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mrs. G calls the Mass Audubons Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln her home.

Down the road in New Jersey, Essex Ed not only predicts the weather but he also takes a stab at what team will win the Super Bowl. Ed lives at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo and has been making his weather and Super Bowl predictions since 1997.

Only time will tell if Phil's predictions will be end up being correct in 2025.

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