Groundhog Day 2025: Did Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow?

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pennsylvania - Groundhog Day 2025 falls on Sunday, February 2nd. This is the day when, according to tradition, groundhogs in various locations across North America, most notably Punxsutawney Phil in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, predict the weather for the coming weeks. If the groundhog sees its shadow, it's supposed to mean six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring is expected. 

Around 7:15 a.m. at sunrise, Punxsutawney Phil left his burrow and saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter.

Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow and predicts six more weeks of winter! #GroundhogDay pic.twitter.com/eevOY4XuIk

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) February 2, 2025

Percentage of times Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow

Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow approximately 77% of the time since he began making predictions in 1887. This means he has predicted six more weeks of winter in 107 out of the 138 years for which there are records. Conversely, he has predicted an early spring 21 times, with no record for 10 years. These statistics give Phil a success rate of around 39% when it comes to the accuracy of his predictions, according to data from NOAA's National Weather Service.

Groundhog Day Shadow Results By Year

History of Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day has roots in European traditions, particularly from German settlers in Pennsylvania, adapting the Candlemas Day folklore involving badgers or bears to groundhogs. 

Candlemas, a Christian feast day celebrating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Candlemas, observed on February 2nd, was considered the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. 

In Germany and other parts of Europe, there was a folklore associated with Candlemas involving animals like badgers or bears. If these animals saw their shadow on this day, it was believed winter would last another six weeks; if not, spring would come early.

German immigrants brought these traditions to North America, specifically to Pennsylvania in the 18th century. Finding no badgers or bears suitable for the tradition, they adapted it to use the native groundhog, which was plentiful in the region.

Over time, Groundhog Day grew from a local event to a national one, with Punxsutawney Phil becoming the most famous prognosticator, but not the only one. Other regions developed their own groundhog or similar animal predictors, like Staten Island Chuck in New York or General Beauregard Lee in Georgia.

Today, Groundhog Day is an official holiday in Pennsylvania, but it's celebrated across the United States and Canada with various events. It's a mix of folklore, community celebration, and a touch of humor regarding weather prediction accuracy.

Groundhog Day Shadow Results By Year