Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today signifying six more weeks of winter. Courtesy/The Farmers’ Almanac

Staff Report

Today is Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow at 7:25 a.m. in a temperature of -3º under a crisp and clear sky in Punxsutawney, Penn., signifying six more weeks of winter, according to the Punxsutawney Phil Club. 

The Farmers’ Almanac explains that on this day, townsfolk in Punxsutawney, Penn., gather in Gobbler’s Knob to watch as an unsuspecting furry marmot is plucked from his burrow to predict the weather for the rest of the winter.

The History of Groundhog Day

The date of the celebration coincides with the medieval feast of Candlemas, and its pre-Christian predecessor, Imbolc, a day also rich in folklore. An old Scottish prophecy foretells that sunny weather on Candlemas means a long winter.

The tradition is recounted in this poem:

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and snow
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop.

Source: The Farmers’ Almanac