Punxsutawney Phil
Quick Summary
Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog in Pennsylvania that has been the center of a Groundhog Day tradition since 1887. Groundhog Day, observed on February 2, is a tradition in the United States and Canada to predict the weather for the next six weeks. Folklore states that if the groundhog sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If it does not see its shadow, an early spring is expected. This tradition has roots in medieval beliefs about animals emerging from hibernation on February 2. German immigrants brought this belief to North America, where the groundhog replaced the badger as the prognosticator. Historical records show these predictions are accurate less than 40 percent of the time.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Jefferson…during which a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil emerges from its underground home to forecast the weather. The county was created in 1804 and named for Thomas Jefferson. Brookville is the county seat. The main industries are manufacturing (glass containers) and mining (bituminous coal). Area 656 square miles (1,698 square km).…
Read More…during which a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil emerges from its underground home to forecast the weather. The county was created in 1804 and named for Thomas Jefferson. Brookville is the county seat. The main industries are manufacturing (glass containers) and mining (bituminous coal). Area 656 square miles (1,698 square km).…
Read More
Groundhog Day…media event, a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil is the center of attention of television weathermen and newspaper photographers. Although promoters of the local festival surrounding Punxsutawney Phil claim that the animals have never been wrong, an examination of the records indicates a correlation of less than 40 percent. (Whether a…
Read More…media event, a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil is the center of attention of television weathermen and newspaper photographers. Although promoters of the local festival surrounding Punxsutawney Phil claim that the animals have never been wrong, an examination of the records indicates a correlation of less than 40 percent. (Whether a…
Read More