Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow, forecasting 6 more weeks of wintry weather

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- Punxsutawney Phil is said to beryllium predicting six much weeks of wintry upwind aft helium saw his shadiness Monday.

His yearly prediction was translated by his handlers astatine Gobbler's Knob successful occidental Pennsylvania.

The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club says that erstwhile Phil is deemed to person not seen his shadow, that means determination volition beryllium an aboriginal spring. When helium does spot it, it's six much weeks of winter.

Phil tends to foretell a longer wintertime acold much often than an aboriginal spring.

Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, during the 137th solemnisation of Groundhog Day connected Gobbler's Knob successful Punxsutawney, Pa., Feb. 2, 2023.

AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File

Tens of thousands of radical were connected manus astatine Gobbler's Knob for the yearly ritual that goes backmost much than a century, with ties to past farming traditions successful Europe. Punxsutawney's festivities person grown considerably since the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day," starring Bill Murray.

Lisa Gibson was astatine her 10th Groundhog Day, wearing a lighted chapeau that resembled the histrion stump from which Phil emerges soon aft daybreak.

"Oh man, it conscionable breaks up the doldrums of winter," said Gibson, accompanied by her hubby - dressed up arsenic Elvis Presley - and teenage daughter. "It's similar Halloween and New Year's Eve each wrapped up into 1 holiday."

Gibson, a nonmigratory of Pittsburgh, had been rooting for Phil to not spot his shadiness and truthful foretell an aboriginal commencement to spring.

Rick Siger, Pennsylvania's caput of assemblage and economical development, said the outdoor thermometer successful his conveyance work 4 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) connected his mode to Gobbler's Knob.

"I deliberation it's conscionable amusive - folks having a bully time," said Siger, attending his 4th consecutive Groundhog Day successful Punxsutawney. "It brings radical unneurotic astatine a challenging time. It is simply a unifying unit that showcases the champion of Pennsylvania, the champion of Punxsutawney, this area."

Last year's announcement was six much weeks of winter, by acold Phil's much communal appraisal and not overmuch of a astonishment during the archetypal week of February. His top-hatted handlers successful the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club importune Phil's "groundhogese" of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being interpreted erstwhile they subordinate the meteorological marmot's muses astir the days ahead.

AccuWeather's main long-range upwind expert, meteorologist Paul Pastelok, said aboriginal Monday immoderate clouds moved into Punxsutawney overnight, bringing flurries helium called "microflakes."

Pastelok said the coming week volition stay cold, with below-average temperatures successful the eastbound United States.

Phil isn't the lone carnal being consulted for semipermanent upwind forecasts Monday. There are ceremonial and informal Groundhog Day events successful galore places successful the U.S., Canada and beyond.

Groundhog Day falls connected Feb. 2, the midpoint betwixt the shortest, darkest time of the twelvemonth connected the wintertime solstice and the outpouring equinox. It's a clip of twelvemonth that besides figures successful the Celtic calendar and the Christian vacation of Candlemas.