Groundhog Day 2026: Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter

Groundhog Day 2026: Punxsutawney Phil makes annual weather prediction.

Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his stump on Groundhog Day to deliver his annual weather forecast.

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his tree stump on Monday and saw his shadow, signaling six more weeks of winter.

Phil's forecast came as a bummer to many on the East Coast who have been stuck in subzero temperatures for over a week.

What we know:

Tens of thousands of people were on hand at Gobbler’s Knob for the annual ritual that goes back more than a century, with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney’s festivities have grown considerably since the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day," starring Bill Murray.

Last year’s announcement was six more weeks of winter, by far Phil’s more common assessment and not much of a surprise during the first week of February. His top-hatted handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club insist Phil’s "groundhogese" of winks, purrs, chatters and nods are being interpreted when they relate the meteorological marmot’s muses about the days ahead.

Phil isn’t the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.

Groundhog Day falls on Feb. 2, the midpoint between the shortest, darkest day of the year on the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s a time of year that also figures in the Celtic calendar and the Christian holiday of Candlemas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report