Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow, Predicting Six More Weeks of Winter, According to Handlers

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa.—Punxsutawney Phil spotted his shadow on Sunday, forecasting six additional weeks of wintery weather, as announced by his top-hatted caretakers to a lively, record-breaking audience at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania.

Phil was greeted with chants of “Phil, Phil, Phil” and was lifted from a compartment on his tree stump shortly after dawn, where a member of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club read from a scroll declaring: “Only I know — you can’t trust A.I.”

The woodchuck’s weather prediction is a tradition that dates back over a century in western Pennsylvania, rooted in much older European folklore. However, it was Bill Murray’s iconic 1993 film “Groundhog Day” that turned the event into the massive celebration it is now, attracting tens of thousands of fans and inspiring similar events across the U.S. and beyond.

If Phil does not see his shadow, it is believed to signal an early spring; conversely, if he does see it, winter will persist for six more weeks.

The crowd enjoyed a stunning fireworks display, confetti, and live music featuring everything from the Ramones to “Pennsylvania Polka” as they anxiously awaited sunrise and Phil’s appearance. Dignitaries including Gov. Josh Shapiro and various local and state officials, along with a couple of pageant winners, were also present at the event.

Jon Lovitch, a self-employed gingerbread artist from New York, has been coming to this event for 33 years.

“I enjoy the cold, and I believe this is perhaps the greatest and largest midwinter celebration in the world,” Lovitch shared in Punxsutawney. “It’s just a fantastic time.”

Historically, Phil has predicted a longer winter far more frequently than an early spring, with one study determining he was correct less than half the time. The interpretation of what six more weeks of winter means varies from person to person.

Tom Dunkel, the president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, noted that there are two groups of attendees at Gobbler’s Knob: the believers who wish to reaffirm their hopes and the skeptics who aim to validate their doubts.

Phil communicated his prediction to Dunkel through “Groundhog-ese” using a special cane that Dunkel has inherited as the club leader, indicating that he doesn’t communicate in English.

“He’ll wink, purr, chatter, and nod,” Dunkel explained.

While attendance is free, a fare of $5 was charged for buses to facilitate the approximately one-mile (1.6 kilometers) trek from downtown to the prediction stage, located around 80 miles (123 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh. The local schools, whose sports mascot is the Chucks, close on weekdays when Groundhog Day occurs due to the necessity of so many buses.

Keith Post, along with his wife and a friend, has watched the “Groundhog Day” film every year for the past five years and decided this was the right year to make the journey from Ohio to experience the event in person.

“We booked our rooms nearly a year in advance, and now we’re here,” Post said. “We made it happen.”

A new welcome center opened four years ago, and the club is currently working on an elaborate second living space for Phil and his family so that they can alternate between Gobbler’s Knob and Phil’s long-time residence at the town library. Additionally, the club established large video screens and enhanced sound systems this year to help those located at the back of the crowd follow the events better.

“It’s a holiday where no one is obligated to anything,” remarked A.J. Dereume, who serves as Phil’s handler among the club’s 15-member inner circle and proudly displayed Phil to raucous applause on Sunday. “You’re holding onto the belief in something that is purely enjoyable to believe in.”

Jackie Handley committed to coming to Punxsutawney for the first time last year to help a friend fulfill a bucket list item. They braced themselves for the frigid temperatures.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience—we probably won’t return. And we are well-equipped with warm clothing,” explained Handley, who hails from Falls Church, Virginia.

After the prediction was made, club members and Phil posed for photographs with attendees from the crowd.

Phil has a wife named Punxsutawney Phyllis and two pups born this spring, named Shadow and Sunny, although his family did not accompany him on stage for the significant occasion. The groundhog family enjoys a diet of fruits and vegetables, receives daily visits from Dereume, and sees a veterinarian at least once each year.

The club’s tradition holds that Phil is the same woodchuck who has been providing weather forecasts for over a century, thanks to an “elixir of life” that ensures his immortality.

“There’s only one Phil, and this isn’t something that can be passed down,” Dunkel stated. “Similar to Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, there exists only one.”

Groundhog Day celebrations, both formal and spontaneous, were taking place across numerous Pennsylvania towns and beyond on Sunday. Events associated with Groundhog Day have been hosted in no fewer than 28 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

By Tassanee Vejpongsa and Mark Scolforo