Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow: Six More Weeks of Winter Predicted for 2026

On February 2, 2026, the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and saw his shadow. According to the long-standing tradition, this means we are in for six more weeks of winter.

The annual Groundhog Day event drew thousands of fans despite the freezing temperatures, which hovered around -3°C (about 27°F) with clear skies—perfect conditions for Phil to spot his shadow. Handlers from the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced the prediction around 7:25 a.m. local time, with Phil's famous "Groundhogese" message translated as: "There is a shadow here on my ground. Six more weeks of winter abound!"

This is not the first time Phil has predicted a longer winter—he made the same call in 2025. Since records began in 1887, Phil has seen his shadow over 110 times, far outnumbering the predictions of an early spring (only about 21 times). While the tradition is fun and beloved, experts note that Phil's accuracy is around 39% at best, similar to a coin flip, as weather forecasting relies more on science than folklore.

Other groundhogs across the U.S. gave mixed predictions—some like Buckeye Chuck in Ohio predicted an early spring by not seeing a shadow—but Punxsutawney Phil remains the most famous "prognosticator." For now, bundle up: winter isn't over yet!