– The results are in: On Groundhog Day 2020, Punxsutawney Phil could not find his shadow. And as the legend goes, this means we're in for an early spring. The Pennsylvania groundhog isn't the only weather-predicting rodent in this quirky American tradition, but he is the most famous.
And according to the men in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, he did not see his shadow. No shadow indicates that the club thinks the U.S. is in for an early spring. And this year, the chubby groundhog has weather-science on his side, as meteorologists say an early spring is likely.
Groundhog Day 2020: Punxsutawney Phil sees no shadow, predicts early spring. For many in the Lower 48, it's been a year without a winter. Temperatures have stayed well above average, while snow has been scarce. Had he spotted his shadow, it would have meant six more weeks of winter.
Turns out his track record for weather prediction isn't 100% … or even 50%. Since 1887, Phil and his predecessors have seen their shadow 104 times, and not seen it only 19 times. According to the Stormfax Almanac, which has been tracking Phil's predictions since 1887, Phil has been correct only 39% of the time.
On Groundhog Day, a bunch of men, wearing suits and top hats, pull a groundhog out of a hole in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. They then read a scroll the groundhog supposedly wrote, that states whether or not it saw its shadow. This determines if winter will last another six weeks, or if spring is coming soon.
As the tradition goes, every year on February 2nd Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, comes out of his hole in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. If he sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, we will have an early spring.
When burrowing, they have been known to destroy building foundations, create unwanted holes on lawns and cause electrical outages from gnawing on underground wires. Groundhogs rarely come in contact with humans and therefore pose no major public health hazards.
According to the President of the Groundhog Club, Bill Deeley, Phil is 134 years old, having been magically alive since the ceremony began in 1887! The average, non-magical, groundhog lives up to six years but two or three years is the average lifespan.
pŭngk's?-tô'nē Filters. A city of west-central Pennsylvania northeast of Pittsburgh. It is an industrial center noted for its annual observance of Groundhog Day, February 2.
Update: Punxsutawney Phil—who hails from wester Pennyslvania—did not see see his shadow, which, according to legend, means an early spring and warmer temperatures are coming. According to our long-range forecast, we predict a slow start to spring. See our Spring Weather Forecast 2020.
Lifespan: In the wild, groundhogs can live up to six years with two or three being average. In captivity, groundhogs reportedly live up to 14 years.
Punxsutawney Phil – called the world's most beloved seasonal prognosticator by his handlers in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – might or might not see his shadow on this Groundhog Day 2020. This U.S. and Canadian tradition comes every year on February 2, stemming from traditions that go back for centuries.
Because of the Bloomberg incident, Chuck was secretly replaced by his granddaughter, Charlotte, for the first Groundhog Day ceremony held during the mayoralty of Bill de Blasio. During that ceremony (held February 2, 2014), de Blasio dropped Charlotte onto the ground.
Phil's full name is "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary."
So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.
The area was originally settled by the Lenape (Delaware Native Americans), and a more definitive source says the name "Punxsutawney" derives from a Native name in Unami (a Lenape language): Punkwsutènay, which translates to "town of the sandflies" or "town of the mosquitoes" (punkwës- 'mosquito' + -utènay 'town').
