Groundhog Day 2023, which is celebrated every year on February 2, saw the legendary Punxsutawney Phil emerge from his burrow and predicted that winter will last for six more weeks. Groundhogs observed their shadows during a deadly winter storm that hit the South and Northeast parts of the country.
Groundhog Day 2023
On Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to see his shadow before the nation eagerly awaited his prediction. Tom Dunkel, president of the Groundhog Club, translated Phil’s prediction into “Groundhogese,” which was then translated worldwide. According to Phil, “we’ll have an additional six weeks of winter in the U.S.” Another major winter storm is already affecting many parts of the country.
What is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day is an American tradition, each year on Feb. 2, many towns across America celebrate Groundhog Day, where a weather-predicting groundhog predicts if winter will continue for six more weeks or if spring will arrive early.
History of Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day has been celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania since 1877, when the first celebration was held at Gobbler’s Knob. However, the tradition of using rodents to predict the weather dates back much further in history, and German immigrants brought this tradition to the United States even before the Civil War.
In Punxsutawney, a newspaper editor named Clymer Freasinvented the Groundhog Day celebration, which was based on the traditions of a groundhog hunting club called the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, which was founded in 1883. The group decided to designate Punxsutawney Phil as the official groundhog meteorologist of the nation together.
Today, the celebration is led by a group called the Inner Circle, which wears top hats and operates in a dialect of the Pennsylvania Dutch language. Each year, they trek to Gobbler’s Knob where Phil gives them his weather predictions for the coming year.
Thousands of spectators attend Punxsutawney Groundhog Day events every year in order to witness the annual prediction of the groundhog. In many towns across the U.S. and Canada, weather-predicting rodents have become an integral part of their celebrations of the day.
Groundhog Day 2023 Stream Live
Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow on Groundhog Day 2023, which is celebrated every year on February 2 and predicted that winter will last for six more weeks.
Groundhog Day Tickets
Punxsutawney offers a phun-philled experience! Visit Groundhog.org and Punxsutawney.com for the most up-to-date information on events and tickets.
What did Punxsutawney Phil predict last year?
When Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in 2022, he predicted a longer winter for the country. It was the 106th time in 126 years that he saw his shadow.
Is Punxsutawney Phil always right?
No – Only 40% Accuracy Rate
According to Stormfax Weather Almanac, since Punxsutawney Phil made his first prediction in 1887, Punxsutawney Phil has only been right 39% of the time, since he made his first prediction in 1887. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Phil was only right 40% of the time between 2012-21.