Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow, Declares Six More Weeks of Winter on Groundhog Day

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Friday, bringing good news for those who love winter — and [...]

By Libby Birk

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Friday, bringing good news for those who love winter — and not-so-great news for those over the cold temps.

Whether they believe the urban legend or not, Americans everywhere were eager to see if the famous Pennsylvania groundhog would see his shadow and pop back into his burrow.

At 7:18 a.m., just after sunrise, the rodent emerged from his lair to the cheers of thousands in the crowd. Those cheers turned to groans after Phil told his "Inner Circle" — a group of tuxedo-clad men who manage Groundhog Day — that in his "forecast, not lead but solid gold: I see my royal shadow, six more weeks of winter to go."

The disappointing forecast came after record-breaking freezing temperatures across the U.S.

Last year, the furry rodent "predicted" six more weeks of winter.

This year marks the 132nd Groundhog Day celebration, which occurs annually at Gobbler's Knob in the 5,500-person town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

According to the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, as many as 30,000 people descend on the tiny town annually to watch Phil emerge from his slumber, either seeing his shadow and running back into his burrow, meaning six more weeks of winter, or bravely lingering outside, meaning spring is around the corner.

The odds are not in the favor of those hoping for an early spring, as Phil has only predicted it 18 times in the last 132 years.

CBS News reports that in reality, Phil's prediction is decided ahead of time by the group on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill just outside of Punxsutawney, which is 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office says the Groundhog Day tradition dates back to the early days of Christianity in Europe, born of a winter festival called Candlemas Day. On that day, clergy would distribute candles and bless them — and if the skies were clear, it meant an extended winter was in the forecast.

Legend has it that Phil is the only Pennsylvania groundhog to have predicted winter's length, though the lifespan of a groundhog is around just six years. Nevertheless, Phil (or Phils) has enjoyed his celebrity status, visiting President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., in 1986, Oprah Winfrey in Chicago in 1995 and Regis Philbin, CBS and CNN in New York City in 2001.

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