Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow, makes Groundhog Day forecast

Soon after the biggest meteorological holiday of the year arrived, the famous resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, emerged from his burrow to make his annual Groundhog Day forecast.

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow Friday morning, declaring that spring will arrive early this year.

Phil saw his shadow for the past three years and called for a prolonged winter. This followed 2019 and 2020 when Phil called for spring to arrive early, the first time that the groundhog predicted an early spring in back-to-back years.

Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 135th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

The annual Groundhog Day tradition dates back to the 1800s, and massive crowds gather in Punxsutawney every year as people await Phil's meteorological prognostication.

AccuWeather long-range meteorologists released their annual United States spring forecast on Wednesday, and some parts of the country will indeed see an early arrival of springlike weather, while Old Man Winter will maintain his grip on other regions of the country.

Meteorological spring officially begins on Friday, March 1, while astronomical spring begins on the equinox, which takes place at 11:06 p.m. EDT on March 19.

Click here to read AccuWeather's complete region-by-region breakdown of the U.S. spring forecast.

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