Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow, forecasting 6 more
weeks of wintry weather
[February 03, 2026]
By MARK SCOLFORO, TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and KATHY McCORMACK
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of
wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what's
already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United
States.
His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was
translated by his top hat-wearing handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog
Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.
The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of
thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to
await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd
bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing.
Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his
prediction, but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that
and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long. Instead, the
audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and “do a selfie.”
In New York, the ceremony for Staten Island Chuck was streamed live but
closed to the public because of the cold. Chuck was said to have also
predicted six more weeks of winter.
The Punxsutawney club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his
shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it,
it’s six more weeks of winter. Phil tends to predict a longer winter far
more often than an early spring.
The annual ritual goes back more than a century, with ties to ancient
farming traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney's festivities have grown
considerably since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray.
Other Groundhog Day predictions roll in
Phil isn’t the only animal being consulted for long-term weather
forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in
many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.
Michael Venos, who tracks Groundhog Day predictions at
countdowntogroundhogday.com, said the early results Monday indicated a
split verdict — 25 for winter and 22 for spring.
That’s just the start — Venos expects to tally about 100 events.
Agreeing with Punxsutawney Phil that more winter weather is on the way
this year have been Buffalo Bert, a New York groundhog, and groundhog
mascot Dover Doug in Pennsylvania. Also in the “more winter” camp were
That Dog Named Gidget, a Havanese in New York, and possum Birmingham
Jill in Alabama.
In Georgia, General Beauregard Lee waddled outside and tried to get into
the hollow part of a log before an announcer proclaimed that he had seen
his shadow, prompting groans from the crowd at the Dauset Trails Nature
Center southeast of Atlanta.
Those predicting an early spring include groundhogs Buckeye Chuck in
Ohio, Fig Newton in North Carolina and Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia,
along with Benny the Bass, a fish in Ohio, and Pennsylvania ferret
Jessup Giuseppe.
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Toni Massey, of Bismack, N.D., right, celebrates while waiting for
Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, to come
out and make his prediction during the 140th celebration of
Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Monday, Feb.
2, 2026. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
A crowd cheered in Albertville, Alabama, when Sam Mountain Sam, a
possum, was said to have predicted an early spring. Sam arrived for
his annual forecast carried in a whiskey barrel pulled by a convoy
of wagons and horses.
Thousands brave cold weather to see Punxsutawney Phil
Lisa Gibson of Pittsburgh was at her 10th Groundhog Day in
Punxsutawney, wearing a lighted hat that resembled the tree stump
from which Phil emerged shortly after daybreak.
“Oh man, it just breaks up the doldrums of winter,” said Gibson,
accompanied by her husband — dressed up as Elvis Presley — and
teenage daughter. “It’s like Halloween and New Year’s Eve all
wrapped up into one holiday.”
Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest,
darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring
equinox. This time of year also figures in the Celtic calendar and
the Christian holiday of Candlemas.
Rick Siger, Pennsylvania’s secretary of community and economic
development, said the outdoor thermometer in his vehicle read 4
degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) on his way to
Gobbler’s Knob.
“I think it’s just fun — folks having a good time,” said Siger,
attending his fourth straight Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney. “It
brings people together at a challenging time. It is a unifying force
that showcases the best of Pennsylvania, the best of Punxsutawney,
this area.”
Last year’s announcement was six more weeks of winter, not much of a
surprise during the first week of February. His handlers insist
Phil’s “groundhogese” of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being
interpreted when they relate the meteorological marmot’s muses about
the days ahead.
AccuWeather’s chief long-range weather expert, meteorologist Paul
Pastelok, said early Monday some clouds moved into Punxsutawney
overnight, bringing flurries he called “microflakes.”
Pastelok said the coming week will remain cold, with below-average
temperatures in the eastern United States.
___
Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and McCormack from
Concord, New Hampshire. AP reporters Kimberly Chandler in
Montgomery, Alabama, and Jeff Martin in Georgia contributed.
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