Punxsutawney Phil has spoken — there will be six more weeks of winter.
Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog saw his shadow — for the third year in a row — on Thursday morning in the small Jefferson County town in front of thousands of excited onlookers.
Phil emerges every Feb. 2 from his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob to issue the prediction. The forecast was relayed to the crowd by members of the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle. Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter. If not, it’s an early spring.
Of course, regardless of Phil’s prediction, the first day of spring is March 20.
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Members of the top-hat wearing Inner Circle arrived at the event to the sound of rousing music. On their way to the stage, they greeted the Phil faithful who gathered on a cold morning. Members led a chant of “Phil, Phil” to rustle the groundhog from its stump.
After handler A.J. Dereume lifted the rodent to the sky with one hand, to cheers from the crowd, Phil was placed on the stump while president of Inner Circle club Tom Dunkel said he spoke “groundhog-ese” — consisting of chirps, winks and nods — to the animal to learn the appropriate prediction.
Club vice president Dan McGinley read the forecast from a scroll.
“… But above all else, I see a shadow on my stage, and so no matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter weather,” he read.
In the overwhelming majority of years, Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter, historical records show. The furry forecaster has called for an early arrival of spring just 18 times since 1898, most recently in 2020.
Greensburg’s Derek Woods Band performed around 6 a.m., their second year in a row to hit the stage at the event. Afterwards, Gov. Josh Shapiro made his first public appearance on the stage to welcome the crowd.
“How cool are these guys in the Inner Circle?” he asked to cheers in response. “And how amazing is Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania?”
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is opposed to such displays involving animals, in the past encouraging the Inner Circle to give up the tradition for a more animal-friendly event.
