Who knew a groundhog could predict the weather.
Who knew a groundhog could predict the weather.
Will he or won’t he? Every Feb. 2, the question arrives – will the groundhog see his shadow, prompting six more weeks of winter?
The most popular rodent meteorologist is Punxsutawney Phil, a western Pennsylvania-based groundhog that draws scores of people to the small town each February.
Here is everything to know about the prophetic rodent and the day dedicated to his winter forecast:
When is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day is always on Feb. 2, which in 2026 lands on a Monday. Punxsutawney Phil – as well as other prophetic groundhogs around the nation – will predict the forecast early in the morning. (Typically around 7:30 a.m.)
What is Groundhog Day?
In the American tradition of Groundhog Day, the nation’s groundhog prognosticators take a stance on the season ahead. If the groundhog sees his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it’s a forecast of an early spring.
Groundhog Day’s roots are in the Christian holiday Candlemas, the midway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Candlemas was traditionally aligned with the anticipation of planting crops, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, and seeing sunshine on the day was said to indicate winter’s return.
In Europe, people traditionally looked to bears or badgers to look for the sign of returning winter or coming spring, but when German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they instead used groundhogs to make the forecast instead.
The first official Groundhog Day took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The event took up permanent residence at Gobbler’s Knob the following year.
Who is Punxsutawney Phil?
Punxsutawney Phil is the famous groundhog who predicts the weather in “Groundhogese,” according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. He is not the only weather-predicting rodent, but he is the best known.
He is also known as the “Seers of Seers,” the “Prognosticator of Prognosticators,” “Weather Predictor Extraordinaire,” “Br’er Groundhog” and “National Treasure.”
Tens of thousands of people flock to the town to witness the ceremony in person. More than 30,000 people attend the event at Punxatawney’s Gobbler’s Knob each year, according to visitpa.com, Pennsylvania’s state-run tourism website. The event is also live-streamed, starting at 6 a.m. on Feb. 2.
Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow on Groundhog Day 2025?
Watch Punxsutawney Phil make his spring weather prediction after emerging from his Gobbler’s Knob burrow on Feb. 2, 2025, in Punxsutawney Pa.
Did Phil see his shadow last year? Was he right?
In 2025, Phil predicted we would see six more weeks of winter. According to groundhog-day.com, nearly more than half of the American groundhogs also predicted an early spring, roughly three dozen groundhogs predicted a longer winter.
How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?
While Phil is the most famous groundhog, he isn’t the most accurate. According to Stormfax Weather Almanac, Phil is only right around 39% of the time. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), New York’s Staten Island Chuck is the most accurate groundhog predictor – with an accuracy rate of 85%.
Staten Island Chuck – also known as Charles G. Hogg – is a resident of the Staten Island Zoo, According to NOAA, his reliable forecasting, his behavior can be a bit unpredictable. He once bit the hand of the Mayor of New York City. The NOAA ranked 19 groundhogs – all who have been prognosticating for at least 20 years. Punxatawney Phil landed 17th on the list with an accuracy rating of 35%, according to the NOAA.
Two other New York groundhogs – Dunkirk Dave and Holtsville Hal – received a 50% accuracy rating. Malverne Mel, also from New York, received a 55% accuracy rating, according to the list.
For a forecast that’s far more than folklore, visit the National Weather Service or AccuWeather.
What other groundhogs offer a Feb. 2 forecast?
Sure Punxsutawney Phil is the best known groundhog, but he’s not the only one. A lesser-known taxidermied groundhog – Octoraro Orphie from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – was the groundhog I was raised to defer to. But there are others around the nation with far more clout.
Among them:
Contributing: USA Today network
