Woodstock Willie makes his Groundhog Day prediction

Woodstock Willie officially made his prediction on this Groundhog Day.

He did not see his shadow, which means an early spring is ahead.

What we know:

Willie's prognostication didn't align with his furry colleagues over in Pennsylvania.

Earlier today, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow. The East Coast rodent emerged from his burrow at dawn on Sunday to cheers.

Northwest suburban Woodstock attracts thousands of people every year for Groundhog Day. Many are fans of the 1993 Bill Murray and Harold Ramis film.

RELATED: How Woodstock, Illinois became the real-life home of Groundhog Day

The backstory:

According to legend, there will be six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow. If he doesn’t, spring comes early. 

The annual holiday is always held on February 2. This year, that date lands on Sunday.

Groundhog Day originates from the Christian festival of Candlemas, a European tradition held on February 2 that uses a badger or hedgehog to predict the weather based on its shadow.

When German immigrants settled in Pennsylvania, they swapped the badger for a groundhog, because it was more common in the area.

The U.S. holiday appeared in a local newspaper in 1886, but the first official trip to Gobbler's Knob didn't happen until the following year.

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