Groundhog Day 2024: Will the groundhog see its shadow and how often is Phil right?

Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean

Are we in store for a longer winter? We could soon know. Well, if you believe in Punxsutawney Phil's prediction.

Groundhog Day is just around the corner and the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and the famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil are getting ready for their big day on the first Friday in February this year.

Punxsutawney Phil will take a look around and if he sees his shadow we could be in for six more weeks of winter, but if he doesn't we will see spring a bit earlier.

Here's when it is and just how we came to have Groundhog Day.

When is Groundhog Day 2024?

Groundhog Day is on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024.

It might not be a federal holiday, but people in the U.S. tune in to see if Phil, or their own local groundhog celebrity, sees his shadow every year on the same day, Feb. 2. If he sees his shadow, he predicts six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it’s a forecast of an early spring.

What is Groundhog Day?

In the American tradition of Groundhog Day, the nation’s most well-known groundhog takes a stance on the season ahead.

The biggest celebration happens in Pennsylvania. Each year in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Gobbler’s Knob becomes a hive of activity for those wondering if winter is going to last a few more weeks. The celebration is free and spectators can enter the grounds starting at 3 a.m. ET. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club celebrates with talent shows, banquets and performances leading up to, and after, the prediction.

When was Groundhog Day first celebrated?

The first Groundhog Day was celebrated on Feb. 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Penn., according to History.com.

The tradition has roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be.

Germans added to the tradition by selecting an animal to help predict the weather. But it wasn't the groundhog used now, it was the hedgehog. After coming to America, German settlers in Pennsylvania continued the tradition and made the switch from hedgehogs to groundhogs, which were plentiful in the state.

How often is Punxsutawney Phil right?

Well, while the groundhog predictions provide a lot of fun, but they are rarely right.

Punxsutawney Phil has been right 39% of the time since the tradition started in 1887, according to the Stormfax Weather Almanac. Phil has seen his shadow more often than not, predicting a longer winter 107 (84%) times. USA Today compiled all of his results since 1887:

  • Saw shadow (six more weeks of winter): 107

  • No shadow (early spring): 19

  • Partial shadow: 1

  • No record: 10

  • Did not appear: 1

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Groundhog Day 2024: Will the groundhog see its shadow? What to know

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