Spoiler alert: the little groundhog saw his shadow.
Punxsutawney Phil has made the call from Gobbler’s Knob; get ready for six more weeks of winter.
As the sun came up this morning, just after 7:20 a.m local time, thousands of people gathered, as,they do every Feb. 2, to watch Phil make his grand prediction. With temperatures in the 20s this morning at Gobbler’s Knob, about a 90-minute drive from Pittsburg, PA, bus loads of excited fans of the groundhog started their commute as early as 3:00 a.m., according to Weather Channel.
For the 139th time, Punxsutawney Phil has taken his stance on how long winter will last, with mixed results of accuracy. 1886 is said to be the first year in which Groundhog Day is documented in local newspapers.
The tradition has grown more popular over the decades and is celebrated around the world. While the 2020 Census says the population of Punxsutawney is just over 5,700, over 40,000 have been known to make the pilgrimage in previous years.
Phil usually sees his shadow on Groundhog Day. Wikipedia states he’s only made a prediction of an early spring 20 times since the 1880s.
