Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Wednesday morning, which means we're looking at six more weeks of winter
AP Photo/Barry Reeger
- Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Wednesday morning, calling for six more weeks of winter.
- Thousands of people gathered in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday to watch the rodent make his prediction.
- "With my shadow I have cast, a long, lustrous, six more weeks of winter," a member of the Groundhog Club's Inner Circle said on behalf of Phil.
According to Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow as he peeked his head out of his underground abode Wednesday morning, we're looking at six more weeks of winter.
Legend says that if the famed groundhog sees his shadow early in the morning of February 2, winter will hang around for six more weeks. Conversely, if he doesn't see his shadow, early spring is upon us. The tradition has been taking place since 1886.
Thousands gather at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, each year to see the rodent make his prediction, and this year's crowd included approximately 10,000 people with representatives from every US state and multiple countries around the world, Groundhog Club President Jeff Lundy said at Wednesday's ceremony.
"Hear ye, hear ye. Today, 2/2/22, welcome to to celebrate Groundhog Day, the 136th annual trek of the Groundhog Club," one of the Groundhog Club's "Inner Circle" members read aloud to the crowd from a scroll.
" Phil, the seer of seers, the prognosticator of all prognosticators, was gently lifted from his burrow at 7:25 a.m. [ET] held high to see his faithful followers and returned with glee," he said.
He continued: "Placing Phil on top of the stump, wherein groundhog ease, he directed the president, Jeff Lundy, and the Inner Circle, to his prediction scroll that reads: Winter has been bleak, dark, and bereave of hope, yet winter is just another step in the cycle of life. As I look over the faces of the true believers from around the world, I bask in the warmth of your hearts. I couldn't imagine a better fate."
"With my shadow I have cast, a long, lustrous, six more weeks of winter," he said, met with cheers from the crowd.
In 2021, he predicted an extended winter. In 2020, an early spring.
Watch the full broadcast here: