Groundhog Day is celebrated annually in the US and Canada on February 2 and this year will mark the 132nd Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania.
The 130-year-old custom dictates that if Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog emerges from his hole and sees its shadow against the sunny weather, it will retreat back to its den in a move that signifies winter will last a further six weeks.
When is Groundhog Day and what is it?
But if there are cloudy skies when the groundhog – a rodent from the marmota squirrel family – comes above ground – meaning the spring season will arrive early.
Thousands of people flock to Punxsutawney each year for the bizarre tradition and many more watch from around the world.
But what time is Groundhog Day 2018?
For those who are unable to watch the event in the flesh, a live stream is available so there’s no need to fear you could be missing out on all the groundhog fun.
The event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, will start at 6am ET (11am GMT).
While observed in many parts of the USA, Groundhog Day is not a public holiday but it attracts widespread attention from fans.
The folklore gained international recognition in 1993 when it was immortalised on screen in a film of the same name starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell.
What is Groundhog Day?
The first Groundhog Day was celebrated officially at Gobler’s Knob, Punxsutawney on February 2, 1887.
Local newspaper editor Clymer Freas came up with the idea after saying that Phil was America’s official groundhog meteorologist.
However, Phil is only right about 20 percent of the time.
According to the Groundhog Club’s records, Phil has seen his own shadow 103 times and saw no shadow 18 times between 1887 and 2017.