Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting six more weeks of winter for the second consecutive year.
The forecast disappointed East Coast residents enduring a week of subzero temperatures.
The world’s most famous groundhog emerged from his tree stump at Gobbler’s Knob before tens of thousands of spectators gathered for the annual tradition. Phil’s handlers in top hats interpreted his “groundhogese” of winks, purrs, chatters, and nods to deliver the extended winter prediction.
The Pennsylvania town’s Groundhog Day festivities have drawn massive crowds since the 1993 Bill Murray film popularized the event. The ritual itself dates back more than a century, with roots in ancient European farming traditions.
Six more weeks of winter remain Phil’s most common forecast, particularly unsurprising for early February. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club maintains that Phil communicates through his unique language of gestures and sounds.
Groundhog Day falls on February 2, marking the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The date also appears in the Celtic calendar and coincides with the Christian holiday of Candlemas.
Phil faces competition from other weather-predicting animals across the U.S. and Canada. Formal and informal Groundhog Day ceremonies take place in numerous locations, though none match Punxsutawney’s spectacle.
