Groundhog Day 2024 full video: Watch Punxsutawney Phil as he looks for his shadow
Each year, we turn to an expert groundhog to look for his shadow and make the guess of either six more weeks of winter or an early spring: Punxsutawney Phil.
USA TODAY provided live coverage of Groundhog Day events from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, which started after 6 a.m. ET, where Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction. You can watch the video embed at the top of the page or USA TODAY's YouTube channel.
This year, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow and predicted that an early spring is on the way.
Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting the weather at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney since 1887, in an annual event derived from the Christian holiday Candlemas Day and Pennsylvania Dutch traditions.
How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?His Groundhog Day predictions aren't great, data shows.
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When is Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day is celebrated every Feb. 2, the same day as Candlemas, where some of the holiday's traditions originate.
Candlemas was traditionally aligned with the anticipation of planting crops, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, and seeing sunshine on the day was said to indicate more winter.
In Europe, people traditionally looked to bears or badgers to look for the sign of returning winter or coming spring, but when German immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania, they instead used groundhogs to make the forecast instead.
Since 1993's "Groundhog Day" movie starring Bill Murray, visitPA says more than 30,000 people travel to Punxsutawney each year to see Punxsutawney Phil's prediction.
What did Punxsutawney Phil say in 2023?
Last year, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his burrow, saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter, a forecast in line with his predictions from the last two years.