VIDEO Groundhog Phil, made famous with the movie “Day of the Mole”, predicted when winter will end in the USA
AJ Dereume, caretaker of Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog, holds the animal after he saw his shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter, during the 140th annual Groundhog Day festivities on Feb. 2, 2026, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. PHOTO: JEFF SWENSEN / Getty images / Profimedia
The famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted on Monday that the winter in the United States will last another six weeks, after seeing his shadow when he came out of his burrow in Gobbler's Knob, in Pennsylvania, writes the Spanish news agency EFE.
The rodent thus continued the tradition of “Groundhog Day”, which since 1887 has been attracting many curious people to this small town located approximately 100 kilometers from Pittsburgh.
According to the legend, which is true in only about 40% of cases, if the rodent sees its shadow when leaving its burrow in a tree trunk, this suggests the continuation of winter weather for another six weeks. Conversely, if it is cloudy outside and no shadow appears on the ground when the groundhog emerges from the burrow, then the beginning of spring is near.
Throughout its 139-year history, Phil saw his shadow 109 times, so the long winter was the groundhog's most frequent prediction, notes Agerpres.
The groundhog day holiday, which has its roots in old European agricultural traditions, gained worldwide fame with the release in 1993 of the movie “Groundhog Day”, starring actor Bill Murray.
Monday was also New York Staten Island's “Groundhog Day.” Chuck, the New York groundhog, also saw his shadow in the early hours of the morning, predicting another six weeks of winter weather.
