The Pennsylvania Tourism Office released this statement after Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.
Punxsutawney, PA – This morning, Pennsylvania’s own world-famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted an early spring after not seeing his shadow, a prediction so rare that it has only happened 19 times in the 133-year history of Groundhog Day.
“Every February 2nd, we look forward to celebrating this beloved Pennsylvania tradition with the rest of the world,” said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. “Groundhog Day is something you can only find in our commonwealth, and we’re honored to share Phil’s prediction with visitors, residents, and the millions of families watching from their homes.”
The story of the holiday tradition declares that if the groundhog emerges early on the morning of February 2 and sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter weather. Should he not see his shadow, we will have an early spring. The annual event began in 1886, when a spirited group of groundhog hunters dubbed themselves “The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club” and proclaimed Punxsutawney Phil to be the one and only weather prognosticating groundhog.
