But who is Punxsutawney Phil and did he see his shadow today?
2018 marks the 132nd year of Groundhog Day celebrations, a popular custom in the USA and Canada that is increasingly celebrated around the world.
Punxsutawney Phil is the legendary official groundhog at the heart of proceedings and he is famous for predicting the spring weather every February 2.
The charming critter lives on the tiny hill of Gobbler’s Knob, located just outside Punxsutawney, 84 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.
Traditional folklore states that on Groundhog Day, Phil will emerge from his burrow in front of faithful followers and share his weather predictions with the Groundhog Club President in Groundhogese, who then translates him to the world.
According to legend, if Phil sees his shadow due to it being a clear day, then another six weeks of winter will prevail but if the weather is cloudy then spring is said to be near.
Today, Phil saw his shadow meaning there will be six weeks of wintry cold yet to come.
How old is groundhog Phil?
Punxsutawney Phil is reportedly 131 years old although this is largely accepted as myth as groundhogs in captivity have an average lifespan of six to eight years.
Members of the Groundhog Club’s “inner circle” say Phil’s long life can be attributed to drinking a secret punch every summer at the Groundhog Picnic.
Despite other groundhogs existing – Buckeye Chuck is another rival – the website of the official Groundhog Day states that “Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just imposters”.
It also says Phil’s predictions are 100 percent accurate when in reality his success rate has only been 20 percent in the last 30 years.
Last year, Phil saw his shadow – which should have implemented a six-week winter period – but temperatures actually rose above the average during February and March.
What is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day was brought to the USA by Pennsylvanian German settlers.
Punxsutawney’s newspaper editor exploited the holiday and began advertising the town’s groundhog as the the official “Groundhog Day meteorologist”.
The town held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler’s Knob was made on February 2, 1887.
Although the tradition has long been held in the US and Canada, it now receives worldwide attention as a result of the 1993 eponymous Hollywood film starring Bill Murray.