Famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will give his prediction Friday: What will he say?

Emilia Cardona, The Gardner News

Kick off February with the cutest weather tradition, the 138th annual Groundhog Day celebration. Watch Punxsutawney Phil predict a longer winter or an early spring this Friday, Feb. 2.

Hundreds of locals and fans from all across the nation gather at Phil's home, the Gobbler's Knob, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, during the early hours of the morning every Feb. 2 to see if Phil can see his own shadow or not since the tradition started in 1887.

According to the Farmers' Almanac, Phil's predictions have been 39% accurate, with only 20 times predicting an early end to winter. However, Punxsutawney Phil's inner circle members claim that his predictions are 100% accurate.

Groundhog Club handler Ron Ploucha, left, holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, as Groundhog Club President Bill Deeley, right, gets the weather prediction from Phil during the 129th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Monday, Feb. 2, 2015.
Groundhog Club handler Ron Ploucha, left, holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, as Groundhog Club President Bill Deeley, right, gets the weather prediction from Phil during the 129th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., Monday, Feb. 2, 2015.

If you can't travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, by this Friday morning to catch Phil's prediction, the Groundhog Club is virtually live-streaming it on their website at www.groundhog.org.

How does Phil make a prediction?

The folklore says that if Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, there will be six more weeks of winter. And if Phil doesn't see his shadow, then spring will come early. But, the Farmers' Almanac explains in their Groundhog Day 2024 article that the weekly forecast determines whether Phil sees his shadow. The weather forecast for Punxsutawney on Friday is cloudy.

More: The Farmers' Almanac is out with its prediction for winter - how much snow will we get?

What do the Almanac editors predict?

During the second week of February, the New England region will experience snow, cold rain, and freezing temperatures according to the editors of the Farmers' Almanac.

The editors predict winter weather to last until March this year. According to the editors, the official first day of spring is Tuesday, March 19, even if the weather still feels wintry. They also predict a possibility of an April snowfall in New England's high terrain during the third week of the month.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Gardner News subscription. Here are our subscription plans.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: How to watch Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day - is it an early spring?

Advertisement