Groundhog Day 2023: Has the groundhog seen his shadow?

PUNKSUTOUNE, Pennsylvania. It’s Groundhog Day, and people have been waiting for hours in the freezing cold to see if a furry creature in a western Pennsylvania town will predict an early spring or another six weeks of winter.

People gathered at Gobbler’s Knob on Thursday as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” called him out of their stump at dawn to see if he had seen his shadow. According to folklore, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring will come early.

Phil seemed to enjoy the cold weather, because just before 7:30 AM ET, he climbed out of his stump and stared at his shadow for a long time, predicting another six weeks of winter.

The Inner Circle is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the annual events and feeding and caring for Phil himself.

The annual event in Punxsutawney originated from the German legend of the furry rodent. Officials from the community, which is about 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Pittsburgh, are hoping the event will draw the usual crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 attendees, which will also be broadcast live.

According to historical records dating back to 1887, Phil predicted winter more than 100 times. According to the organizers, ten years were lost due to the fact that no records were kept.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in 2021 and 2022, calling for six more weeks of winter.

While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog seer, he is certainly not the only one. New York Staten Islander Chuck will also make his prediction Thursday during an event at the Staten Island Zoo.

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