In Philadelphia, the shadow says six more weeks of winter

In contrast to the message from Woodstock Monday, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what's already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States.

His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his top hat-wearing handlers in the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania. At the same time, Woodstock Willie did not see his shadow in Illinois, suggesting an end soon to the winter of 2026.

The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing.

Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his prediction, but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long. Instead, the audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and “do a selfie.”

In New York, the ceremony for Staten Island Chuck was streamed live but closed to the public because of the cold. Chuck was said to have also predicted six more weeks of winter.

The Punxsutawney club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter. Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring.

The annual ritual goes back more than a century, with ties to ancient farming traditions in Europe. Punxsutawney's festivities have grown considerably since the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray.

Phil and Woodstock’s Willie aren’t the only animal being consulted for long-term weather forecasts Monday. There are formal and informal Groundhog Day events in many places in the U.S., Canada and beyond.

Michael Venos, who tracks Groundhog Day predictions at countdowntogroundhogday.com, said the early results Monday indicated a split verdict — 25 for winter and 22 for spring.

That’s just the start — Venos expects to tally about 100 events.