Groundhog Day: Spring Arrives Early!

news image
Special Stories
3 Feb 2024 11:25 PM

Friday was Groundhog Day, when Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his winter burrow and tried his hand at forecasting. To remind you, during sunny weather Phil sees his shadow and gets "spooked", heading back into his den and we will see 6 more weeks of winter. If it is cloudy and Phil doesn't see his shadow, it means "Spring is here"!



As of 7:25 a.m. ET Friday, Phil did not see his shadow, signifying spring will arrive early! Conditions were mostly cloudy and dry in Punxsutawney, although lights from the cameras and stage certainly appeared to make a shadow under Phil. Historically Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow 106 times, about 5 times more than times he hasn't seen his shadow. All of the lights, cameras, and people could have something to do with that ...

Phil isn't all that accurate, with only about a 40% accuracy rating over the last 100+ years. Of the past 10 years, Phil has only been accurate about 30% of the time, in 2020, 2016, and 2014.

The history of Groundhog's Day started in Europe before German settlers brought the custom to Pennsylvania. The first GroundHog Day was in 1887, making this year the 137th event! Fun fact: did you know Phil is about 20lbs and 22" long?

All Weather News
More
October Nor'easter Moves Up the Atlantic Coast with Wind & Storms

October Nor'easter Moves Up the Atlantic Coast with Wind & Storms

An area of low pressure is intensifying as it

12 Oct 2025 10:00 PM
Active Weather Returns to California By Monday

Active Weather Returns to California By Monday

It's been months since meaningful snow fell o

12 Oct 2025 9:40 PM
Increasing Flood Threat Across the Southwest With Tropical Influence

Increasing Flood Threat Across the Southwest With Tropical Influence

Flash flooding will continue to be possible i

12 Oct 2025 8:20 PM
Atlantic Tropics: Tropical Waves Could Develop Next Week

Atlantic Tropics: Tropical Waves Could Develop Next Week

The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season has thus f

12 Oct 2025 2:00 PM
La Niña Advisory Issued, Potential Impacts to Winter Precip & Springtime Tornadoes

La Niña Advisory Issued, Potential Impacts to Winter Precip & Springtime Tornadoes

La Niña was observed in September, leading to

12 Oct 2025 8:00 AM
Upgraded North Dakota Tornado Ends EF-5 Drought

Upgraded North Dakota Tornado Ends EF-5 Drought

The National Weather Service in Grand Forks,

12 Oct 2025 7:30 AM
Eastern Pacific: Raymond Targets Baja California, Desert Southwest with Downpours

Eastern Pacific: Raymond Targets Baja California, Desert Southwest with Downpours

The Eastern Pacific has had a fairly average

11 Oct 2025 1:35 AM