Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow, Signaling Six More Weeks of Winter

Overview

• Handlers at Gobbler’s Knob interpreted Phil’s “Groundhogese” and read the official scroll declaring a shadow sighting.
• An estimated tens of thousands, including a reported crowd of about 30,000, braved single-digit or sub-zero temperatures to watch the pre-dawn ritual.
• Because of the extreme cold, organizers curtailed onstage photos and limited Phil’s time outdoors for his welfare.
• Other North American prognosticators offered mixed calls, with some echoing more winter and others projecting an early spring.
• This is the fifth time in six years Phil has forecast a longer winter, continuing his long-running tendency toward more winter.