Punxsutawney, PA – Thousands of people gathered at Gobbler’s Knob on Monday, February 2, 2026, for the 140th annual Groundhog Day celebration, where the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, made his yearly weather prediction. Phil emerged from his burrow and reportedly saw his shadow, forecasting six more weeks of winter.
The event, a long-standing tradition in Pennsylvania, drew a crowd of onlookers as well as political figures, including U.S. Senator Dave McCormick, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, and top state Senate Republicans Joe Pittman and Kim Ward.
While Phil’s prediction is a beloved cultural event, meteorologists remain cautious. AccuWeather’s chief long-range expert, Paul Pastelok, warned that the eastern United States can expect continued cold temperatures and snowfall in the coming week, especially across the mid-Atlantic, Ohio River Valley, and Northeast. He emphasized that while long-range forecasts provide general trends, accuracy decreases over time.
Skeptics also point out that Phil’s track record is far from perfect. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the groundhog has been correct only 40% of the time over the past decade when compared to actual U.S. temperatures.
Despite this, Groundhog Day holds a special place in American culture, partly popularized by the 1993 Bill Murray film, and remains a cherished tradition for many Pennsylvanians who celebrate the quirky holiday each year.
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