Groundhog Day 2026: Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter
Groundhog Day 2026: Punxsutawney Phil makes annual weather prediction.
Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his stump on Groundhog Day to deliver his annual weather forecast.
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his tree stump on Monday and saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter.
Phil's forecast came as a bummer to many on the East Coast who have been stuck in subzero temperatures for over a week.
Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney
What we know:
His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.
The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing.
Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his prediction, but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long. Instead, the audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and "do a selfie."
What they're saying:
The annual ritual goes back more than a century, with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney’s festivities have grown considerably since the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day," starring Bill Murray.
Lisa Gibson was at her 10th Groundhog Day, wearing a lighted hat that resembled the tree stump from which Phil emerges shortly after daybreak.
"Oh man, it just breaks up the doldrums of winter," said Gibson, accompanied by her husband — dressed up as Elvis Presley — and teenage daughter. "It’s like Halloween and New Year’s Eve all wrapped up into one holiday."
PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 02: Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 139th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on February 2
Gibson, a resident of Pittsburgh, had been rooting for Phil to not see his shadow.
Rick Siger, Pennsylvania’s secretary of community and economic development, said the outdoor thermometer in his vehicle read 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) on his way to Gobbler’s Knob.
"I think it’s just fun — folks having a good time," said Siger, attending his fourth straight Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney. "It brings people together at a challenging time. It is a unifying force that showcases the best of Pennsylvania, the best of Punxsutawney, this area."
How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?
By the numbers:
Punxsutawney Phil has been making weather predictions since 1887, a tradition with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe.
According to StormFax, Phil has seen his shadow 109 times and has forecasted an early spring on just 21 occasions.
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Groundhog Day 2026: How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?
Punxsutawney Phil has been making weather predictions since 1887, a tradition with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe.
Overall, StormFax says, Phil's weather predictions have been correct 39% of the time. In the last 10 years, he's been right four times.
The last time Phil predicted an early spring was in 2024.